A Romance of Science and Logic
by Sartek
Summary: A few weeks after Edgeworth's promotion to Chief Prosecutor, Ema returns to town. He's rather surprised to see her after so long... Certain feelings start to emerge on his heart... is it love? He doesn't know, but he hopes to find out on a journey he wouldn't even imagine to go on, alongside Ema Skye.
1. Reunion

**Chapter 1**

**Reunion**

Not long as passed since Edgeworth's been promoted to Chief Prosecutor. As he is enjoying a good cup of British tea, the phone rings. Surprised by the phone ring breaking the utter silence that was surrounding the atmosphere in his office, Edgeworth puts down his cup of tea and heads to his desk.

"Hello?" Edgeworth answered.

"Hey, Edgeworth!" Phoenix greeted. Edgeworth found himself sigh at the sound of his childhood friend's voice.

"What is it, Wright? I'm busy, so please, be brief." Edgeworth said, noticing his paperwork on his desk, using it as an excuse in an attempt to make Phoenix leave him alone. He clearly didn't want anyone to bother him at his sacred tea time, especially not Phoenix. However, it didn't work.

"There's someone you need to meet. She's been asking me to bring you here. Would you mind coming over to People Park?" Phoenix said, his tone warning Edgeworth that it was important for him to go.

"Hmm… I'm busy with this paperwork, Wright… can't it wait for another day?" Edgeworth asked. He clearly didn't want to leave the Office. He was feeling far too cosy to go anywhere.

"Sorry, Edgeworth, but this can't wait. You won't regret it. I'm sure you'll also be happy to see her." Phoenix said.

"Sigh, fine. I'll go. See you in a few minutes." Edgeworth finally agreed. Phoenix smiled, although Edgeworth couldn't see it.

"Great!" Phoenix said. "I'll see you in a while, then!" He hanged up.

(So much for my sacred tea time.) Edgeworth was clearly not amused, however, he didn't have a choice but to leave his office and head for the location Phoenix instructed him to go to. Just as he reached the garage, he found Lana Skye.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Lana called. "I'm glad I find you here. I need to ask you about something."

"Oh, Ms. Skye!" Edgeworth said, once again, surprised. "I'm sorry, but I can't talk now. I must head somewhere at the moment."

"Where are you going?" Lana asked out of curiosity.

"People Park." Edgeworth said. Lana's reacted with a surprised face and a hand on her chest. "At Wright's request. He said there's someone who wants to see me."

"Might I ask you for a lift? I'm heading there as well." Lana asked, much to Edgeworth's surprise.

(I wonder what's going on at that park...) "Sure, be my guest." Edgeworth said, as he and Lana entered that fancy red sports car of Edgeworth's.

The trip was silent. Edgeworth's thoughts about what's happening at People Park were rather confused. He remained silent, though, until Lana broke the silence surrounding them both.

"Congratulations on your promotion to Chief Prosecutor, Mr. Edgeworth." Lana said, with a smile on her face.

"Oh, thank you." Edgeworth said. A slight smirk appeared on his face, although Lana didn't notice it. "I have been promoted a few weeks ago." A slight pause followed, before Edgeworth decided to ask Lana something. "And I see you've been released from prison recently. Welcome back. How's your situation been after 'that' incident?" Lana noticed the emphasis given on the word 'that'. Her smile disappeared.

"Fortunately, I managed to keep my Prosecutor's Badge, and since you're the Chief now, that makes me your subordinate." A smile on Lana appeared on her face again, and Edgeworth couldn't help but blush a bit.

(Ngh! That's true, but, why does that sound so… Ah, shake it off, Miles!) Edgeworth then remembered that Lana wanted to ask him a question. "So, what was that question you wanted to ask me?"

Lana has already forgotten about it, but she has remembered rather quickly. "Oh, uhm… I'd like to know if you're in a relationship with someone. You know, romantically…"

Edgeworth flinched at this question. "What!?" Lana's smile remained on her face.

(The answer is obviously no, but why am I hesitating to answer?)

"Well, no, I'm not. But what was that question for?"

"Oh, nothing. I've just asked it out of curiosity." Lana said.

Edgeworth became rather suspicious of Lana's attitude, almost as if she was interested in the Chief Prosecutor. However, that idea was absolutely inconceivable and preposterous. So much, that he didn't even bother to think further into the matter. A few minutes later, they've arrived at People Park.

"Ms. Skye, you may go on. I'll go search for a parking spot." Edgeworth said.

"Alright. See you in a few minutes." Lana said, her smile not going away. She got out of the car and headed for the park as Edgeworth drove on for the first parking spot he could find.

Edgeworth's noticed Lana's mood was rather high. He's never seen her so happy. Perhaps it has to do with what's on People Park?

Lana's found Phoenix, along with 3 other people. Apollo, Trucy and Athena were having an entertaining conversation with a certain other girl.

"Ms. Skye! Glad to see you here!" Phoenix greeted. "How long has it been since we last met?"

"Oh, Mr. Wright!" Lana said, with the same smile as ever. "It's been years! How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, I've been here and there… I'm glad you're here, because there's someone here to see you." Phoenix then led Lana to the small group.

Meanwhile, Lana turned her attention to the happy group and noticed the girl, or rather, the woman with the long white lab coat and a pair of pink glasses on her head. The group stopped their little chat and turned to Lana. Tears of joy have started to turn her eyes wet as she looked at her younger sister. After Ema looked back at her, she left the group.

"Sis…?" Ema's eyes started to bring out tears of joy as well, as she ran towards her sister and hugged her as tightly as she could. "Oh, my God! Siiiiiiiiis!" Ema was literally crying with Lana. "I've missed you so much!"

"Oh, Ema!" Lana said. "You've grown up so much! I've missed you too!" A few minutes of silence have followed. Phoenix, Apollo, Trucy and Athena were all touched by that moment. No one's dared to say anything, fearing they would ruin that tender moment between two sisters who haven't seen each other in ten years.

A little while later, Phoenix's noticed Edgeworth and ran towards him.

"Hey, Edgeworth! Took your time." Phoenix whispered.

"I was parking my car." Edgeworth answered, then he turned his attention to Lana. "What the…? Is that Ema?" The moment he saw the woman in the lab coat, he couldn't avoid opening his mouth in utter surprise.

(Wow, what a surprise! She's grown so much.)

"Yes, it is." Phoenix said, and noticed Edgeworth's cheeks blushing slightly as he looked at Ema. He then continued. "And she's the reason I called you here. Come with me." Phoenix grinned at Edgeworth. He ignored it and followed his friend.

(So, she's the reason why Phoenix wanted me here? I wonder…)

"Ema!" Phoenix called. "There's someone here to see you!"

After talking with her sister for a while, she turned her attention to Phoenix after that call. Well, not exactly at him, but rather, to the man in red standing right beside him. She brought her hand on her cheek in surprise.

"M-M-Mr. Edgeworth!" Ema said. She was rather nervous to see him after so much time away. Edgeworth brought a smile on his face. He was happy to see Ema.

"Hello, Ema. You've grown a lot!" Edgeworth said. She ran towards him to give him a hug, similar to the way it was with Lana earlier. She felt her cheeks blush a bit when Edgeworth returned the hug.


	2. Investigative Partnership

**Chapter 2**

**Investigative Partnership**

Still shocked from the happiness of seeing Ema after all these years, Edgeworth was rendered speechless for a while. Nobody knew what to say in that moment. The one who decided to break that silence was Trucy. He brought his dad next to her.

"Daddy, do you think Mr. Edgeworth likes Ms. Skye?" Trucy whispered to his ear, with a smile on her face.

Phoenix turned to Edgeworth and then Ema. Afterwards, a grin appeared on his face and replied to her daughter. "You know, I would say so." He giggled a bit with his daughter. Apollo and Athena, interested in what they were talking about, interfered.

"Hey, what is it, Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked, with a grin on his face.

Trucy answered him instead of Phoenix. "Polly, look at the way Mr. Edgeworth's looking at Ms. Skye! I think he has a thing for her!" Apollo and Athena then joined the giggling party, causing Lana's attention to be drawn towards them.

"Excuse me for a bit." Lana said, leaving the Chief Prosecutor and the Detective alone for a little while. Edgeworth and Ema Skye were left alone with each other. Just the two of them.

Lana then proceeded to whisper at the group. "Why are you laughing?" Lana didn't seem as happily interested as Apollo and Athena previously did.

Startled, Phoenix lied. "Oh, Ms. Skye! We were just sharing a few jokes between each other here." He didn't want to tell Lana. Not yet, at least.

The attention of the group has turned to Edgeworth and Ema, who were still looking at each other silently. Then, Edgeworth broke the silence.

"So, how have your studies in Europe gone? Have you managed to become what you've always wanted to become?" Edgeworth asked it with a smile on his face, clearly showing a certain interest in Ema.

"Well…" Ema answered, bringing an upset, but cute pout. "I failed the test to become a forensic investigator, and when I came back, they threw me into Criminal Affairs as a Detective."

"I see… I'm sorry to hear that." Edgeworth felt sorry for her. He didn't know what to say to console her. Ema, however, cheered up afterwards.

"But at least I get to see you more often! Isn't that great, Mr. Edgeworth?" Ema's smile has made Edgeworth blush once again. He smiled back at her.

"Yes, that's true. I'm also glad to know we'll see each other more often." Edgeworth's smile told Ema he was being honest about it.

"Sorry to intrude," Phoenix interrupted. "but I have something important to announce. Of course, I didn't bring you two here for nothing. I had something to tell you both."

"You two will be working together from now on." Lana added, with a smile on her face. "After all, ever since Mr. Gumshoe's turned in his police badge, Mr. Edgeworth's left partnerless."

Ema was surprised to hear it and brought her hand to her cheek. "Oh, my God! Is it true?" The question was more directed at Edgeworth, who had his arms crossed. "What happened, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"I don't know. The last time I saw him was when he turned in his badge. I haven't heard from him ever since, but I have heard rumors he's opened a noodle restaurant." Edgeworth pondered.

"No wonder, given his constant salary cuts." Phoenix said. Edgeworth wasn't very happy to hear him say that. Athena's interrupted the conversation, addressing Phoenix.

"Hey, Boss, Apollo and I are going back to the Agency. There's some paperwork we need to take care of."

"Alright, I'll see you two later." Phoenix said, but as they started to walk away, he added. "Oh, and, please drop by the grocery store for me on the way, will ya?" Apollo nodded and off they went. "Anyway.." turning his attention back at Edgeworth. "I know this is all happening fast, assigning Ema as your investigative partner all of a sudden, but I want you to know this is sort of a present congratulating your promotion."

Ema blushed a bit and said "Oh, Mr. Edgeworth, isn't it wonderful? I finally get to work with you! I may not have become a forensic investigator, but working alongside you makes me feel as happy!" Edgeworth was left speechless by what Ema said, but then, he shrugged.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Skye!" He bowed to her. "I'm sure you'll turn out to be a fantastic partner to work with." Ema was flattered and was smiling at Edgeworth.

"Alright, I have to get back to my office." Phoenix said. "I'll see you later."

"Oh, alright, Mr. Wright!" Ema said. She was certainly cheered up. Perhaps it was because she was assigned to fill in for Gumshoe alongside Edgeworth. "See ya!" She hugged Phoenix one last time before he walked away. Trucy waved at them as she walked away with her father.

The next day, Edgeworth was in his office taking care of his usual paperwork, when his thoughts started to drift away. What was on his mind regarding his paperwork in one second was replaced by thoughts about Ema the next one.

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth, isn't it wonderful? I finally get to work with you! I may not have become a forensic investigator, but working alongside you makes me feel as happy!"

Edgeworth blushed a bit when it echoed through his mind. He tried to shake Ema off his mind and focus again on his paperwork, but to no avail. He decided to get up from his chair and head to the window behind him. Ema kept rolling through his mind, as if it was the only thing he could think about, which apparently, at that time, was. He sighed once with a smile on his face. Gladly, he was alone in the office, otherwise, it would give him away.

(Ema's been assigned to work alongside me… I admit that made my day.)

Edgeworth pondered with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. A few seconds later, he heard someone knock the door.

"Enter!" Edgeworth replied. He turned around to see Lana. "Oh, Ms. Skye. Please, come in. What brings you to my office?"

"Mr. Edgeworth." Lana replied with the usual smile on her face. "You don't know how happy Ema is to work alongside you." Edgeworth smiled and nodded.

"I know. I'm also happy to know it. When was this all decided, anyway?" Edgeworth wondered, but Lana just shrugged and said nothing. "Well, it doesn't matter." As Edgeworth was preparing a cup of tea, he offered one to Lana. "Would you like some tea, Ms. Skye?"

"Oh, yes, please." Lana accepted. As she received the cup of tea, she added. "Oh, I've just remembered what I came here to say." She sat down on the sofa.

"What is it?" Edgeworth asked, interested, still facing the window.

"What do you think of Ema?" The sudden question has temporarily frozen Edgeworth, as he was trying to come up with something to say.

"Uhm, uuhhh… W-W-Well, uhm, I guess she's grown a lot. And, uh, s-s-she's… turned out to be a fine looking woman…" Lana noticed he was stuttering and slightly embarrased. He wasn't usually like this. His calm and collected demeanour has vanished ever since he laid eyes on Ema. But Lana let it go.

"I see! You know, Ema's said that you looked good as well!" Lana said with a smile on his face. Edgeworth turned around to face her, as what she said has surprised the Chief Prosecutor. Just then, Lana's noticed Edgeworth's red cheeks, almost as red as his suit.

(She said that…? How nice of her.) Edgeworth thought. Lana's noticed Edgeworth liked her younger sister, but that didn't bother her at all. After all, she was the one to come up with the idea of partnering Ema and Edgeworth in the first place, but Edgeworth didn't know that, nor was he going to.


	3. The First Case

**Chapter 3**

**The First Case**

While Lana and Edgeworth are chit-chatting in the Chief Prosecutor's Office, the ambience on the Wright Anything Agency was something else. Phoenix is helping Athena with dinner preparations, while the Apollo and Trucy are on the couch watching TV. Out of nowhere, Athena asked a rather interesting question.

"Hey, Boss, do you think Mr. Edgeworth and that woman in the lab coat might be…? You know." This has lured the siblings' attention.

"Knowing Edgeworth, he's not going to admit it. He'll try to conceal his feelings." Phoenix said. He knew his friend far too well. Edgeworth was not the type to be sentimental about anything or anyone, but maybe Ema was different. "I don't know if they'll ever begin a romantic relationship with each other. I wouldn't bet on it."

Apollo interfered. "Trust me, Mr. Wright, Ema has a crush on him. I'm sure she will want a relationship with Edgeworth."

"Can you imagine them working on a case together?" Athena asked with a smile on her face and Widget turning green. "That would be so cute! Don't you think?"

"Haha, I would love to see that!" Trucy said, cheerfully.

Little did they know that was going to happen in the following days. The show Apollo and Trucy were watching was suddenly interrupted by a breaking news story.

"We interrupt this program to bring you a breaking news story. The body of a young woman has been found in Eagle Mountain, near an old bridge. Authorities claim the identity of the victim unknown and are currently searching for any leads regarding who it was."

Everyone turned their eyes to the TV in surprise. Another murder in Eagle Mountatin. Phoenix couldn't believe this was happening.

"I'm going to call Edgeworth." Phoenix said, searching for his mobile phone. He seemed eager to find it.

"Daddy…? Is everything okay?" Trucy asked rather worried, as her dad ran around the office looking for his phone, but then he heard it ringing. When he found it, he looked at the screen. It said "Edgeworth". He picked it up.

"Edgeworth, thank God you called!" Phoenix said. "I was just about to call you. Have you heard the news?"

"Calm down, Wright." Edgeworth said, worried about Phoenix. "Yes, I have. This is indeed tragic news. Never have I thought to go back to that mountain for another murder case. I will call Ema and make it my first case alongside her." Edgeworth sounded rather determined.

"Alright, Edgeworth. I wish you guys good luck. Let me know who the victim was when you find it out." Phoenix asked.

"Surely." Edgeworth said. "I'll keep you updated."

"Alright, thanks, Edgeworth." Phoenix said. "I'll talk to you later." He hung up.

"What is it?" Apollo asked. He seemed eager to know what was going on in that phone call, as he knew they were talking about the recent news.

"Edgeworth's going to take this case with Ema." Phoenix said. He turned to Athena, who was thinking about something. "Athena, what is it?"

"That woman… I feel like I have seen her somewhere…" Athena said, refering to the victim. "She looks familiar to me, but… I just can't point out who she is."

"Don't worry, Edgeworth will keep us updated on the matter." Phoenix informed her.

Meanwhile, the Chief Prosecutor has worried Lana after that phone call. She had no idea what was going on.

"What's wrong, Mr. Edgeworth?" Lana asked.

"There's been a murder in Eagle Mountain." Edgeworth said. "I've decided to make this my first case alongside Ema." Lana was rather surprised and happy to know he'd take the case with Ema.

"I see." Lana said. She took her cup of tea and put it on Edgeworth's desk. "Thank you for the tea, Mr. Edgeworth. I believe it is time for me to leave."

"Alright. Please inform Ema to meet me here as soon as possible." Edgeworth requested. But was it to discuss the case or just to have her by his side? Edgeworth couldn't help but blush at the sound of Ema's name. But he knew it was no time for romance. This was a serious matter. He waited no longer than an hour before Ema knocked the door.

"Enter!" Edgeworth answered. He turned around, saw Ema and brought a smile on his face. "Ah, Ema. Come in." The fact that Edgeworth called Ema by her first name has flattered her.

"I heard the news, Mr. Edgewo-"

"Please, call me Miles." Edgeworth interrupted, much to Ema's surprise. She's never thought of addressing the Chief Prosecutor by his first name. She hesitated a bit. "Wait, are you sure, Mr. Edgew- uhm, Miles?"

Edgeworth shrugged. "Yes, no need to worry. You may call me Miles. I've called you Ema and you didn't seem to mind."

Ema blushed a bit. "Yes, I guess it's okay, then… Miles." By the time she said his name, Ema was already red-faced. Edgeworth noticed it, but quickly returned to the main subject of their meeting.

"Anyway, you know why I called you here, don't you?" Edgeworth asked her to find out if she's already heard the news.

Ema seemed to ponder a bit at first but then answered slowly and blushing. "I guess it's because you want to spend some quality time with me?"

"Edgeworth shrugged once again. "Trust me, I wish that was the case. However, the reason I called you here was because of a murder that occurred at Eagle Mountain. You and I are going to take that case and investigate it." He then brought his index finger to his temple. "Scientifically."

Ema's eyes were shinier than Maggey Byrde's at the sound of the word 'scientifically'. This was like a dream come true to her. Working on a case alongside the Chief Prosecutor, who happens to be none other than Miles Edgeworth, the man she idolized ever since her sister introduced him to her… She grabbed her pink glasses with her right hand and with a smile on her face she said. "Well, what are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" Ema was too excited not to explode with enthusiasm. She was going to investigate a case alongside her crush. Wouldn't be the first time, however, it's the first time as the assigned partner to Edgeworth. After putting his red jacket on, Edgeworth headed for the door and pointed at the exit with his hand in a 'ladies first' gesture. After he locked the door, Ema grabbed Edgeworth by the hand, as if she was in a hurry.

"Come on, Miles!" Ema said, in a hurry to get to the crime scene.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming." Edgeworth said, not letting go of Ema's hand.

(Her hand feels so smooth…) He tightened the grip on her hand, making her blush a bit.

"You know, Mr. Edg- uhm, Miles…" Ema quickly corrected herself. "This might be the most exciting case I'll ever work on. Don't you agree?"

"Why would you say that?" Edgeworth asked with a smile on his face, predicting Ema's answer.

"Because…" Ema hesitated to answer. She fiddled with Edgeworth's hand instead. That was her answer. Edgeworth quickly realised what she meant and blushed a bit. "Hee hee! You're cute when you blush." Ema said, teasing Edgeworth.

As they reached Edgeworth's car, he unlocked the passenger door and opened it for her, as if he was her personal chauffer. He was feeling rather happy about having Ema in the car with him, but then he quickly turned his thoughts to the murder case.

"Well, anyway. The murder victim is a young woman whose identity is unknown for the time being. Our first task will be looking into her identification." Edgeworth planned, as Ema pondered about where they would start from. "Any ideas?"

"Well, has the police found any documentation on the corpse?" Ema asked out of curiosity, but hoping a positive answer would make their investigation easier.

"I don't know." Edgeworth answered. "But I hope so, otherwise, the investigation's going to be more complicated."


	4. Logic and Science

**Chapter 4**

**Logic and Science**

Eagle Mountain. The temperature was as cold as the last time Edgeworth was here. It brought him some disturbing memories from 'that' case. That terrible earthquake he has experienced in this very mountain was the most unpleasant memory that hit the surface. However, he couldn't let himself be distracted from the reason he came here. The crime scene was surrounded by police officers. As Ema and Edgeworth headed for the entrance, a police officer quickly blocks their way.

"Halt! Identify yourselves." The officer said. Edgeworth has quickly pulled out his Prosecutor's Badge and Ema her police badge.

"I am the Chief Prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth. I have taken charge of this case." Edgeworth said.

"And I am Detective Ema Skye, the Chief Prosecutor's investigative partner." Ema said. Both were giving the officer an icy glare, slightly startling him.

"Uhm, oh, sorry, sir. You may investigate the crime scene at will." He saluted as the duo passed right through him.

Edgeworth turned to Ema. "Alright, now that we're in, the first thing we need to do is gather some information about this case. I'll go question a few officers while you take a look at the body. Come back to me once you've found the victim's identity." Ema looked determined.

"Alright. I'll see you in a few minutes." As Ema headed for the body, Edgeworth turned his attention to the nearest officer he could see.

"Hey, you!" Edgeworth called an officer and prepared to ask him a few questions. He pointed his index finger at him. "I would like a few words with you."

"Yes, sir?" The officer replied.

"Please fill me in on the information your men have gathered so far." Edgeworth crossed his arms, listening to the officer attentively.

"Well, sir, the victim was murdered last night at 10:23PM. The cause of death was a single stab wound to the chest."

"What about the identity of the victim?" Edgeworth asked.

"No possible way to identify the witness has been established yet, sir." The officer said. "I believe the detective with the white coat is already working on it as we speak."

"Alright, thank you, officer." Edgeworth said, and started to ponder about the information he learned. (So, the victim was killed with a single stab to the chest. But **why in Eagle Mountain?**)

**Logic: Why was the victim killed in this mountain?**

The first piece of information has been gathered. Edgeworth wanted to find out why this was the crime scene, but he needed more information for the time being.

**Crime Scene Notes jotted down in the Organizer.**

Meanwhile, Ema was thoroughly checking every nook and cranny of the body. The feature she focused on first was the chest, where the murder weapon was lodged in real tight. She couldn't remove it, even if it was to check for fingerprints. But she quickly forgot about the knife and noticed a backpack hidden behind the tree the corpse was lying next to.

"Aha! Maybe we'll find something here." Ema looked eager to find something that could help. Just as she was opening the wallet found inside the backpack, Edgeworth arrived.

"So, Ema, have you found anything yet?" Edgeworth asked, squatting down to check what sort of clue Ema had found. "Oh, that's a wallet, isn't it? Does it belong to the victim?"

"Hmm, I don't know, let's see…" She noticed an ID card and pulled it off the pocket of the wallet. "Myriam Scuttlebutt… What a weird name." Ema said.

"I see." Edgeworth said. "This might be an important clue."

**ID Card jotted down in the Organizer.**

**Victim's Backpack jotted down in the Organizer.**

"But what was the victim doing with a backpack here?" He pondered. "Could she have been in a field trip, or camping?"

Ema continued to search the contents of the backpack. They didn't find much more than a notepad and a few pens.

"Let's see… _'Meet Hugh'_?" Ema read. "Looks like she was supposed to meet someone here." Ema pointed out.

(Hmm, she was here to **meet someone.**)

**Logic: The victim was supposed to meet someone.**

Edgeworth found himself another piece of information. However, could that lead to a possible lead on who murdered her? Edgeworth needed to ponder about it for a while.

**Notepad jotted down in the Organizer.**

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it's going to be any good." Ema said. "Perhaps the victim was camping here? Maybe there's a tent or something within the perimeter."

Edgeworth had his arms crossed. "I wouldn't deny that possibility. It might turn out to be true. And what if she wasn't here alone, but with a group? I'm going to inquire the police regarding this matter."

"Alright. I'll be looking into footprints. There should be more than a set of them. After all, there must have been someone else here." Ema said, touching her glasses with her hand.

Edgeworth addressed the nearest officer he could find. "Officer, might I have a word with you?"

"Yes, sir?" The officer replied.

"Has a tent or a camp been found within the perimeter?" Edgeworth asked, pointing his finger at the officer.

"Now that you mention it, sir, it has." He pulled a map of the area, showing Edgeworth where the camp was. "The camp was found around this area, next to an old shack called Heavenly Hall, sir."

"Alright, thank you, officer." Edgeworth said, as he pulled his Organizer.

**Eagle Mountain Map jotted down in the Organizer.**

(So, the victim **was camping near here.**)

**Logic: The victim was camping near the area.**

Edgeworth started pondering about the pieces of information he has gathered.

**Why was the victim killed in this mountain? – The victim was supposed to meet someone.**

(The victim was supposed to meet someone in this mountain for some reason. Perhaps it was that reason that led her to her death? That would make this Hugh guy the prime suspect to this murder. But were there any witnesses?)

Meanwhile, Ema was scouting the area for footprints. She happened to find a pair of suspicious ones. She took her footprint analysis kit, which happened to be the same one she used on the Pal Meraktis murder case. As she remembered how Apollo used it back then, she carefully applied that white liquid and did it exactly how the young defense attorney did. She's acquired some results, however, she couldn't identify them for the time being.

Meanwhile, Edgeworth reunited with her partner. "Ema, might I ask you for the results on your investigation?"

"I've found an unidentified set of footprints. I assume they can only belong to the culprit's, given their position."

"I see." Edgeworth said. "That should make the owner of these footprints the prime suspect of our case." After a few seconds of silence, Edgeworth said. "I think I might just know who these footprints belong to.

"Oh? Who might that be?" Ema asked, interested in Edgeworth's idea.

**Take that!**

"The victim's note says 'Meet Hugh'." Edgeworth shrugged and pondered. "And since these footprints don't match the victim's, Hugh is the only possibility remaining."

"Good deduction, Miles." Ema said. Edgeworth was looking into his Organizer. "Oh, and, what has the police told you about the camp?"

"They've confirmed a camp has been found in the perimeter, near this shack called Heavenly Hall." Edgeworth said. "We must head there and investigate. Who knows if we end up finding something related to Hugh?" A few more seconds of silence have followed until Edgeworth realized a contradiction in one of his pieces of information. "So, that camp does not belong to the victim, but to the "suspect".

**Logic: The Suspect was camping here, not the victim.**

Ema and Edgeworth both headed for Heavenly Hall. Ema was looking down at the floor, following a rather curious set of footprints that led them towards the camp in question. These footprints seemed to be the same ones deduced to belong to Hugh.

"I guess this camp belonged to Hugh. His footprints are leading us there." Ema said.

Edgeworth stayed silent and when they arrived at the camp, Ema was proven to be right. The camp seemed to belong to Hugh. However, it was empty. Perhaps he was arrested? Ema decided to look inside the tent.

"Miles, come here!" Ema called, however, she had something else in mind.

"What is - Whoa!" Edgeworth was surprised when Ema grabbed his cravat and pulled him inside the tent just as he was peeking through it. A slight moment of silence took over them both when they found themselves looking each other in the eyes.

"Ema… what are you doing…?" Edgeworth asked, blushing a bit. "We have an investigation to conduct… Shouldn't we leave the romance aside for now?"

Ema touched Edgeworth's cheek and caressed it with her thumb, with a smile on her face. "True, but how many chances like these do we have? Just the two of us…"

Edgeworth was enjoying Ema's hand on his cheek. That slight romantic moment has drifted him away from the investigation. He blushed as he looked her in the eyes and saw that beautiful smile on her face.

"Uhm, let's get back into the investigation." Edgeworth said after those few minutes of romance, just has he noticed a blue backpack lying next to Ema. Between a few bags of Snackoos, there was a small notepad. Edgeworth took it out.

"Hmm… _'Meet Myriam'_. This confirms who this camp belongs to." Edgeworth was pondering while Ema was retrieving every single bag of Snackoos inside the blue backpack. "Ema, what are you doing…?"

Ema was already munching on a bag full of them. She pointed the bag at him in an attempt to offer some. Edgeworth took one as he was looking at that note. "Hmm, this might be an important piece of evidence."

**Hugh's Note jotted down in the Organizer.**


	5. Decisive Witness

**Chapter 5**

**Decisive Witness**

After the examination of the blue backpack found inside the tent, Edgeworth has decided to examine the area outside the tent. There wasn't much to look at, except some burned firewood and the typical camping material. However, he could not afford to let a peculiar feature escape his eye. He's noticed something buried in the dirt. As Edgeworth uncovered that suspicious-looking nook and cranny, his eyes widened.

"This… this is a knife kit!" Edgeworth pointed out. Ema was still inside the tent munching on her Snackoos, but was quickly lured back out to check Edgeworth's discovery.

"Oh? Interesting." Ema said. "And look. There's a knife missing. And the handles look familiar…" Ema started pondering about it, but Edgeworth quickly put her out of her misery.

"Perhaps the murder weapon is the missing knife. I recall a knife lodged in the victim's chest." They were really onto something here. The evidence they found was incriminating this guy even more. "But **why would this knife kit be buried here?**"

**Logic: Why is a knife kit buried here?**

Edgeworth found this piece of information useful enough to start pondering about his pieces of information.

**Why is a knife kit buried here? – The ****Suspect ****was camping here, not the victim.**

(The fact that it was the suspect who was camping here, bringing a knife kit with him can only mean one thing. This was a premeditated murder. The killer took a knife from this kit with him, stabbed the victim and returned to his camp in order to bury and get rid of the knives.)

**Knife kit jotted down in the Organizer.**

"This is an incriminating piece of evidence indeed." Ema said. "This looks more and more like an open and shut case."

"Yes, it looks like a very simple case. However, the more simple it gets, the more complicated it gets." Edgeworth said. This case was getting more complicated than it seemed. "Have you examined the knife lodged in the victim?"

"No, I haven't." Ema said. "I wanted to check it for fingerprints, but I couldn't remove it. Then again, I guess it's useless do to so at this point, since we have gathered enough evidence to prove the knife was the killer's."

Edgeworth brought his index finger to his temple. "A good investigator never overlooks anything. We need to return to the crime scene to examine this murder weapon." Ema has held hands with Edgeworth once again. She was impressed by his partner's deductive skills. As Edgeworth was holding hands with her admirer, he was sticking the other one in his pocket, feeling his mobile phone, which reminded him…

"Oh, I must call Wright. He said he wanted to know how the victim was." He pulled out his mobile phone and dialed Phoenix.

"Hello? Ah, Edgeworth!" Phoenix said. He set his phone so that everyone in the Agency could hear it.

"Wright, we have managed to identify the victim." Edgeworth said. Phoenix, Trucy, Apollo and especially Athena were listening closely to the name Edgeworth was going to announce the next few seconds. There was a moment of suspense until the Chief Prosecutor revealed the name of the victim.

"Myriam Scuttlebutt." Edgeworth said. Athena has jumped out of the couch.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!? Mr. Edgeworth, are you absolutely sure?" Athena asked in disbelief. No wonder the victim looked familiar to her. She was a student in Themis Legal Academy.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Her ID Card was found inside a backpack next to the body. We could only assume it belonged to the victim." Edgeworth said. "And that's not everything our investigation's revealed. We've also found out the name of the killer. However, we're still not 100 percent sure whether he is the killer or not." Everyone didn't pay much attention to the latter warning.

"Don't worry, just tell us!" Phoenix said. Athena was beginning to worry. Her Widget turned yellow. 'He'? Could it be someone she also knew? She wasn't sure, as she waited for Edgeworth's answer.

"We've found a note inside the victim's backpack along with her ID. There was only one thing written on it. It said '_Meet Hugh'_." Athena jumped once again. Hugh? There's only one man she could come up with by the name of Hugh. "That's all we found for the time being. We're still investigating, though. I'll talk to you later, Wright."

Meanwhile, Ema's noticed a few police officers questioning a nun. Could she be a witness? She's turned to Edgeworth as he hung up. Edgeworth's also noticed her, and recognised her right away. Her pink kimono stood out pretty well, not to mention her dark, long hair and those angelic eyes. It was sister Iris. But Edgeworth did not forget what he was supposed to examine next, so he asked Ema to question Iris while he headed for the body. The knife, still untouched, had its blade stuck all the way down. Only the handle was visible. Surprisingly, there were no blood speckles on it, so, Edgeworth didn't have much trouble comparing it to the knives in the kit. The examination was quick, as he wanted to join Ema as soon as possible.

"Hello, miss? Might I ask you a few questions?" Ema asked, interrupting the officers' interrogation and making Iris slightly surprised. She widened her eyes and brought her hand to her chin.

"Uh, yes?" Iris asked. She was feeling a little bit nervous. After all, the place was crawling with police officers and being questioned by them felt a little intimidating.

"I would like to know if you've heard or seen anything last night around 10PM." Ema asked, trying to be as specific as possible, expecting some results out of the nun.

"Yes, I have seen two people last night, by the entrance of Dusky Bridge. After I rang the lights out bell in the Temple, I headed to the other side of that bridge." She answered as she pointed it out with her finger. What Ema saw was an old bridge that was ready to collapse at any time and past it, there was an old temple. Iris continued to explain. "That's where the Inner Temple is."

"Why were you going there?" Ema asked, mostly out of curiosity.

"We had an acolyte training here last night, and the Inner Temple is where she is supposed to go. I was supposed to go with her as a supervisor, in order to make sure she went through her training without any risks."

Edgeworth jumped in the conversation. "And while you were on your way there, what did you do when you saw the two people?" Iris was surprised to see Edgeworth. She remembered him from 'that' case. After noticing she was staring at the Chief Prosecutor, Iris answered.

"I hid behind a tree nearby. There were a man and a woman. They appeared to be talking at first, but the man quickly brought a knife out and didn't waste any time to put the poor girl's life to an end." Her eyes were wet. It was somehow hard for her to describe what she witnessed, as it was a truly shocking scene for someone so delicate to witness. But she saw everything.

"Did you happen to look at their faces?" Edgeworth asked, but Ema quickly jumped in.

"Miles! You're forgetting the murder happened last night. The nun would have a hard time looking at their faces, it was too dark to notice anything."

"Uhm, if I may…" Iris interrupted. She seemed to be thinking about something, as she stared down at the floor with a hand on her chin. "Actually, I did notice something in that man's face. The killer… he was… wearing a pair of glasses." This has surprised both Ema and Edgeworth.

"What about the victim?" Edgeworth asked.

"I'm sorry, I could only see her back." Iris said. "But there was nothing special about it, except for a backpack she happened to carry around."

"I see…" Edgeworth said. "Would you be so kind as to testify about what you witnessed?" He asked, even though Iris had already told everything she knew, but Edgeworth didn't hear it all. He was busy examining the knife in the body when Ema started questioning her.

"Certainly." Iris said, bringing her angelic smile back on her face.


	6. Open and Shut Case

**Chapter 6**

**Open and Shut Case**

_**Witness Testimony**_

_Witness's Account_

_It was after 10PM. I rang the lights out bell_

_and headed for the Inner Temple._

_Just as I was arriving at the bridge, I saw_

_two people._

_I hid behind a tree and watched them._

_They looked like they were talking but then…_

_The man with the glasses pulled a knife out_

_and stabbed the girl._

"Hmm, that is a short testimony, but I couldn't see a single contradiction…" Edgeworth said. "I wonder…"

"If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, Mr. Edgeworth." Iris said with her angelic smile on her face. And that was what Edgeworth would do most likely… through a cross-examination.

"Yes, I will." Edgeworth said. Ema jumped in.

"Oh, can we cross-examine her together, Miles?" Ema asked, smiling at Edgeworth, who put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

"Of course you can." Edgeworth smiled at Ema, who let out a slight 'yay!' when he accepted. Iris was looking at the two partners and their intimacy reminded her of Phoenix, back when they were still together. She somehow envied them a bit. The look on her eyes said all. She wished Phoenix was there next to her. "So, let's get started, shall we, my dear?" Edgeworth said, shrugging.

_**Cross-Examination**_

_Witness's Account_

_It was after 10PM. I rang the lights out bell_

_and headed for the Inner Temple._

**Hold it!**

Ema didn't waste any time pressing Iris's first statement. "How long did you take between ringing the bell and arriving at the bridge?"

Iris had to ponder for a while before answering the detective's answer. "Uhm, let's see… it was 10PM sharp when I rang the bell… I'd say about 13 minutes."

"So, you arrived at the bridge 13 minutes after the bell ring?" Edgeworth asked. He had his arms crossed, trying to figure something out.

"Yes, precisely." Iris said. "By foot, it takes around that time to go from Hazakura Temple to the bridge."

"By foot? I remember there was a snowmobile in the Temple. Why didn't you use it instead? Wouldn't it save much more time?" Edgeworth asked.

"The snowmobile is damaged, so, the engine won't start." Iris said, a bit sad.

"I see. Please continue." Ema said.

_Just as I was arriving at the bridge, I saw_

_two people._

**Hold it!**

It was Edgeworth's turn to press Iris. "Could you describe them in more detail?" He asked, wagging his index finger at the witness.

"Well, I'm certain they were a man and a woman." Iris said. "The man was wearing glasses, but that's all I saw."

"What about the other person? Wasn't her back turned on you?" Ema asked. She was wondering how Iris knew the other person was a girl.

"Yes. I heard their voices. It's pretty quiet around here at night, so, that's how I have figured out they were a man and a woman." Iris quickly explained. She didn't want to leave them in the dark regarding the smallest detail she knew.

"I see." Ema said. "What happened the moment you saw them?"

_I hid behind a tree and watched them._

_They looked like they were talking but then…_

**Hold it!**

"Why did you hide?" Ema asked. "If you were supposed to head to the Inner Temple, wouldn't you just ignore them?"

"Well..." Iris said. "I saw the man had the woman cornered at a tree, and he was looking a bit threatening. I became frightened and hid behind a tree. I wouldn't want to know what would happen if he saw me." Her hand in her chin and looking down at the floor, Iris tried to explain everything with as many details as possible.

"That's understandable." Edgeworth said, shrugging. "Did you happen to hear what they were talking about?"

"Well, no, I haven't." Iris said. "Their voices were echoing, which distorted their words. I ended up clueless about their conversation's subject." She didn't look like she was hiding anything, but then again, why would she?

"What happened next?" Edgeworth asked.

_The man with the glasses pulled a knife out_

_and stabbed the girl._

**Hold it!**

"Just like that?" Ema asked.

"Yes. He stabbed her in the chest and then fled the scene." Iris said.

"Do you know where he headed?" Ema asked. "If you do, please tell us." She seemed eager to know the killer's whereabouts. From the looks of things, there was no room for doubt that this Hugh guy the victim met was the killer.

"He went back to Heavenly Hall." Iris said. "That's where I lost sight of him. Afterwards, I checked up on the victim, but didn't touch anything. In the end, I headed for the Inner Temple because of the acolyte's training." She said it with the same smile on her face as always. Edgeworth pondered about it for a bit and found something peculiar.

"Why didn't you call the police immediately?" Edgeworth asked.

"Well…" Iris said, but was quickly interrupted.

What saved Iris from answering this question was the fact that a man stormed into the crime scene, demanding to see the victim. He was making a big fuss out of the situation.

"Hold it right there, young man! This is a crime scene. I must ask you to leave." Said the police officer who blocked the man's way.

"But… but…!" The man didn't know what to say. When Iris caught a glimpse of this man, her eyes widened. She's seen that man somewhere before.

"That man…" Iris said.

"Hmm?" Ema asked. "What's wrong?"

"That's him! The man I saw last night." Iris said. Both Edgeworth and Ema were caught by surprise. "Yes, I'm pretty sure that's the man who stabbed the woman."

"I see." Edgeworth said. "Thank you for your time, Sister Iris." He bowed to her. "You've helped us a lot." Ema was already walking towards the man.

"You're welcome, Mr. Edgeworth." Iris said. Just before Edgeworth left her, she asked. "Oh, Mr. Edgeworth! Have you heard anything from Feen- I mean, Mr. Wright?"

"Don't worry. Wright is perfectly fine." Edgeworth said, smirking. "I'm sure you'll meet him in the days to come." Edgeworth left her with these words, which caused her cheeks to turn red at the thought of meeting the man she fell in love with long ago.

"So, you're Hugh, right?" Ema asked the man.

"Yes, I am. Hugh O'Conner." Hugh said. "I demand to see Myriam at once!" He yelled at Ema, who smirked at him as she pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. Hugh O'Conner, you're hereby under arrest for the murder of Myriam Scuttlebutt!" The police officers were alerted by this sudden statement. Ema, then proceeded to grab a hand of his and cuff it, followed by the other one.

"Hey!" Hugh protested. "It wasn't me!"

Edgeworth arrived and added. "We have gathered enough evidence that points at you. We've found out you were camping near Heavenly Hall." He, then, presented Hugh's Note. "You were supposed to meet with the victim, and you brought a knife along with you."

"A knife!?" Hugh asked in disbelief. "Why would I bring a knife? Do you even have any evidence that I brought a knife?" Edgeworth felt challenged. He touched his temple and presented the Knife kit. "What…!?"

"This knife kit was found buried next to the tent in Heavenly Hall. As you can see, it's missing a knife, and this missing knife is none other than the one lodged in the victim's chest!" Edgeworth said, pointing at him in an objection pose. Ema's eyes were shining. Her heart was pounding with excitement to see Edgeworth expose Hugh the way he was. "Before you say anything, the handle is identical to the ones on these knives."

"You're making a big mistake! That hardly proves anything!" Hugh said in despair. Edgeworth gestured Iris to come to him, as she was staring at what was going on. "Huh? Who's her?"

"This nun has seen you on the night of the murder." Edgeworth said, smirking. "She noticed the killer was wearing a pair of glasses." Then, he shrugged. "Oh? It seems you're also wearing a pair of glasses." He turned to Iris. "Tell me, Sister, are these glasses the same ones you saw last night?"

"Yes, there's no doubt in my mind." Iris confirmed, causing Edgeworth to smirk and shrug his shoulders again.

"The evidence and this witness's testimony don't lie." Edgeworth said. Hugh was sweating bullets, although, but then he pointed out.

"Tell me… Did you find anything else on the murder weapon that points at me as the killer? If you don't have an answer to this question, then, your accusations are rendered invalid."

**Objection!**

Edgeworth shrugged. "Not so fast, Mr. O'Conner." He turned to Ema. "Ema, might you bring me the murder weapon? If we happen to find any fingerprints there and compare them to yours, that'll most likely prove my theory to be true."

Hugh flinched and was sweating even more than before. Ema took no longer than a minute to bring the knife.

"Alright." Ema said. "Let's dust the handle for fingerprints." Edgeworth put on a rubber glove and held the bloody blade, while Ema carefully dusted the most noticeable fingerprint. However, since the handle was black, she needed to use a magnifying glass to find a fingerprint. After the fingerprint's been dusted, Ema's eyes shone. "Aha! Alright."

She used the dusted print to compare to Hugh's. After half a minute, she confirmed it.

"It's a perfect match!" Ema said. "Proof enough for you, Mr. O'Conner?"

Hugh saw that evil grin of Ema's. Edgeworth's icy glare didn't escape his eye either.

"So, Mr. O'Conner? What do you have to say about it?" Edgeworth asked.

Hugh was left speechless and failed to come up with a counter-argument. That dusted print was his downfall. "Not bad…" Hugh said and finally admitted. "Yes, it's true… I killed her. I took the knife from that kit you're holding and used it to stab the victim."

"Why would you kill her?" Ema asked. Hugh didn't say anything more than a 'tch'. After she handed Hugh over to an officer, she said. "Take him away, Officer." No more than a few seconds have passed before Ema hugged and kissed Edgeworth. "Yes, we did it! That was amazing, Miles!" Edgeworth noticed Ema's eyes shining at him, as if he was the hero of her dreams. He reached his hand to her cheek and smiled.

"I call for celebration. Tonight, in my Office?" Edgeworth asked seductively.

"You bet!" Ema answered rather excited and a bit shy. Iris was blushing at Ema and Edgeworth's intimacy. It reminded her a lot of Phoenix. She missed him.

"Well, Mr. Edgeworth, I will be taking my leave." She bowed to him slightly. "Please send Mr. Wright my regards."

"Certainly." Edgeworth smiled at Iris. "Take care, Sister Iris." He bowed at her and left the crime scene with Ema.


	7. Intimacy

**Chapter 7**

**Intimacy**

It was just past 9PM on the day of the Eagle Mountain incident. Edgeworth's Office was decorated with flowers all around it. The Stereo was playing a soothing piano instrumental. The perfect environment for a romantic evening with the perfect woman. Edgeworth was feeling a bit nervous. His heart was pounding. His mind could only focus on Ema, and nothing else, as if he had no other concerns in his life. He was looking out the window, enjoying a good cup of his usual British tea. The little Steel Samurai figurine that was standing by the window was surrounded by flowers. As he was listening to the romantic ambience he had set for that evening, someone had knocked the door. Without saying a word, the Chief Prosecutor lays his cup of tea on the desk and heads to the door. His eyes have widened when he found who was on the other side. A rather beautiful-looking woman, with a beautiful smile on her face. Her hairstyle was changed to something more formal, resembling her sister Lana. She was wearing a long, white dress, which had a soothing texture that one could feel with the slightest touch of their hand. Her white high heels looked stunning, with a flower attached to the outside of each foot. They looked like they were made to be worn with her dress. Edgeworth was rather stunned.

"Hii!" Ema greeted. She sounded rather shy. Her smile, along with her red cheeks have surprised Edgeworth. Never had he thought just how beautiful Ema could get just for one man. Him.

"Ema…" Edgeworth said, his voice sounded as soft as he could make it. "You look… gorgeous." He smiled as he contemplated the immense beauty Ema was radiating in that very moment. She let out a chuckle and turned her eyes away.

"Thank you…" Ema said. Edgeworth gave her his hand.

"Please, come in." He said. As Ema grabbed Edgeworth's hand, he pulled her in gently. The way the office was decorated with all those flowers and the piano playing in the background have given Ema a certain sensation of romance. She'd never thought Edgeworth would go through all that trouble just to give her a pleasant evening. She felt like she was in Heaven. As the piano continues to play, Edgeworth offers her his hand once again.

"Ema, my dear. Would you honor me with a dance?"

Ema brought her hand to her chest in surprise, much like the way her sister Lana does. But she didn't take too long to reply. She brought her smile back and gave Edgeworth her hand once again. As she got close to him, she put her other hand on his shoulder and Edgeworth put his on her back. The Chief Prosecutor started guiding Ema dancing slowly across the office. A few minutes of silence as they danced and looked each other in the eyes were making that romantic moment the best Edgeworth could possibly provide Ema with.

"Oh, Miles… I didn't know you could dance so well." Ema praised. She wanted nothing better than that moment. Edgeworth did not reply with more than a smile, which Ema noticed. After a few moments of silence, Edgeworth told her something she never expected to hear from him, not stopping the dance for a second.

"You know, Ema… the moment I saw you on that park, when you were hugging your sister, my heart skipped a beat. I felt something I could never imagine to feel." Ema was already leaning her head next to his cravat, and they just stood there. They had turned the romantic dance into a romantic cuddle. "Ever since that moment, I haven't thought of anything else but you. It feels like… my heart is telling me that you are the one who can complete my life. What my heart sees in you… is eternal happiness." Ema couldn't believe she had just heard that from Edgeworth. She turned to look at him, and slowly narrowed the gap between her lips and those of Edgeworth, as she caressed his handsome face with her right hand, the same one that was in his left shoulder. Edgeworth stood still, with his cheeks turning red rapidly. And before Ema prepared for the moment she's always been waiting for, she said, or rather, whispered softly, as the romantic background music kept playing.

"Ever since I've gone to Europe, not one moment have I stopped thinking about you. Your smile, your manners, your personality… It's like you have been gifted with utter perfection…" Edgeworth's eyes froze as Ema continued. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this very moment." As Ema kept talking, her cheeks turned red to match those of Edgeworth. "I've always wanted to say… I love you…"

(Oh, Ema… I love you too…) As Edgeworth said this in his mind, he slowly closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly to the right, to avoid a collision between his and Ema's noses, and waited for Ema to close the gap between their lips all the way until they've finally made contact. And the moment they've met, Ema's instantly gone to Heaven, because this was the moment she's been preparing for. And there was no one better to share this moment with than Edgeworth. Ema's first kiss… with Edgeworth, the man she's always loved. It sounded like a fairy tale, but to Ema, nothing could feel more real.

Edgeworth felt like he was flowing across a river with Ema on a love boat. As the kiss grew more intense, both of them felt like they've found eternal happiness. Both Ema's and Edgeworth's hearts were pounding intensely due to the sensation of that kiss. Minutes have passed until Ema's finally let go of Edgeworth's lips. Her facial expression told him her life was now complete. She, then, turned her eyes to Edgeworth's again, and not breaking eye contact, she slowly pulled him towards the big, red couch on his office. She signaled Edgeworth to sit down first. She sat next to him. No one said anything. That moment was too precious for it to be ruined by a word. At the sound of the romantic music, Ema wrapped her arms around Edgeworth's neck and just engaged him on a dance between lips.

The clock read past midnight. Time surely flied, but they couldn't care any less. As long as they were with each other, time didn't matter.

"Oh, Miles…" Ema whispered. "Just being with you, no matter where, makes me feel like I'm in Heaven… the way you are is so… perfect…" Ema cuddled with Edgeworth on the couch. The feeling of having her head leaned against Edgeworth's cravat felt better than any soft pillow. She felt like she could just fall asleep right there, submerged in an endless sea of bliss. As Edgeworth stroked Ema's hair with his hand gently, she let out a soft yawn and fell asleep in the best place in the world.

(Oh, Ema…) Edgeworth felt like his life was complete right there, just like Ema felt moments ago when she kissed her partner for the first time, in the same sea of bliss as Ema, who was already fast asleep. Both felt like they've just gone through the most perfect evening of their lives. They could ask for nothing better.


	8. Morning Coffee

**Chapter 8**

**Morning Coffee**

It is the morning of the next day. Edgeworth wakes up to the sound of his stereo, as it was still playing the romantic piano music it was set to play the night before. The flowers were still surrounding the office. The cup of tea the Chief Prosecutor was drinking was still on the desk. He hadn't finished it. The moment Ema had knocked on the door that evening, he had forgotten about his tea. He proceeds to stretch his arms in the air while letting out a soft yawn. The first thing he did afterwards was look at Ema, who was still sleeping comfortably with her head on his cravat.

(She's still asleep. I guess I should get up nice and slow and turn off that stereo.)

Edgeworth did so. He held onto her as he got up and then let her head rest on the couch. He looked at Ema for a few seconds, bringing a smile on his face but then, he proceeded to turn off the stereo. Shortly after he pushed the 'Off' button, someone knocks the door. Startled, he turned to Ema again to make sure the knocks weren't waking her up. He opens the door gently, trying to make as less noise as he could make. As soon as his visitor saw the Chief Prosecutor, he greeted.

"Hey, Edgeworth!" He said, rather loud.

"Shhh! Keep it down…" Edgeworth looked at his visitor. "Wright…? Sigh, what are you doing here?"

"Well, you weren't answering your phone, so I decided to stop by…" But then, he noticed. "Your hair's all messed up. And you look… tired. What happened last night?"

"I invited a friend over and we ended up sleeping on the couch." Edgeworth said, but that didn't stop Phoenix from taking a glance inside his office.

"What's with all the flowers…?" Phoenix asked. "Had a redecoration in your office?" He chuckled a bit. "I mean, you could've chosen something more… well… manlier!"

Edgeworth flinched. "Wright…! Now's not the time… I will explain the flowers later, but right now, I want to know what you're doing here."

"Oh, right, uhm... I was trying to call you earlier to invite you for a morning coffee or something, you know…" Phoenix asked his friend nicely.

"Well…" Edgeworth pondered. "If it's just a morning coffee, then, I'm glad to accept, but I can't take too long, because she's still sleeping on the couch…" Edgeworth took another glance at Ema, who was still fast asleep.

"Hmm? Who's she?" Phoenix asked, catching Edgeworth off guard.

"Uhm, uh… well…" Edgeworth was stuttering. "I invited Ema over to my office last night just to talk about… you know… stuff." But he quickly snapped out of it. "But, anyway, let's go get this morning coffee over with, I wouldn't want her to wake up alone in my office." He closed the door has silently as he could, and started walking away with Phoenix as he put on his jacket. They were silent when they got to the garage, during their trip and even after they got to the café.

Only when they were settled did Phoenix decide to bring the topic up again. "You like her… don't you?"

"Huh? I don't know who or what you're talking about." Edgeworth said, nervously.

"Oh, come on, Edgeworth. I saw you the moment you looked at Ema in the park." Phoenix said. "I saw you blush. It's totally obvious you like her, and not just because she's your investigative partner… you do love her, like love-love. I know it." Edgeworth finally agreed to talk in a more personal matter.

"Sigh… I must say, I thank you for assigning her as my partner in crime." Edgeworth said. "I have missed her over the years… my heart's generating certain feelings for her ever since we've met in that park, but I would want to maintain a professional relationship with her." He tried to explain as detailed as he could.

"A professional relationship? Or a romantic one?" Phoenix asked, a bit skeptical about Edgeworth's explanation.

"To be honest… both." Edgeworth said. "I'm feeling something for her that I have never felt before for anyone. I… I can't describe it." He was a bit confused.

"I know what that is, Edgeworth. You're in love. Just the feeling of being with her gives you such a rush through your body and makes your heart pound faster and faster, am I right…?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I feel with Ema… I feel like I need nothing more in my life… as if all of my problems have just vanished." Edgeworth was in a hurry to finish his coffee and go back to his office. Ema was still sleeping there, after all. "But! As her investigative partner, I want to establish a professional relationship, but after last night… I just don't know anymore…" He finished his coffee and got up. Phoenix did the same. After the got to the car, Edgeworth asked. "Do you want me to drop you by your office?"

"Uhm, sure." Phoenix accepted and asked. "But, hey, what happened last night? You were saying you didn't know anything anymore."

"Ah, well…" Edgeworth stayed silent for a few seconds before he answered right out of the blue. "It was our first kiss."

Phoenix jumped out of his seat. "Ow! But, really? Wow! I mean, I think it just happened so fast… don't you think?"

"I don't see how." Edgeworth said. "It was the perfect moment for us. That's all I can say…"

The Anything Agency was within sight, and Edgeworth's prepared to park his car by the entrance, as Phoenix unfastened his seatbelt.

"Alright, thanks for the lift. See you around!" Phoenix said as he got out of the car, but then he turned to Edgeworth with his usual grin. "Oh, and make sure you don't propose to her, alright? Haha!"

Edgeworth felt the joke and laughed with him before replying. "Get out of here, Wright! Alright, see you around." Phoenix turned away again. Just before he got past the entrance, he looked at Edgeworth's car as it was driving away. He said to himself.

"Edgeworth, Edgeworth… Just don't let your love for her turn you into a fool…"

Meanwhile, Ema had awakened. She'd noticed Edgeworth was no longer there. The stereo was no longer playing. Startled, she looked at her wrist watch. 10:15AM. She stretched her arms and yawned and got up. Luckily, she didn't have to wait more than a minute or two before Edgeworth arrived.

"Oh…! Miles!" Ema said. "Good morning."

"Ema…! I see you're finally awake." Edgeworth said. "How long have you been awake?"

"Well, if we want to be scientific, I woke up at 10:15, and that was three minutes ago starting… … … … … … … now." They smiled at each other. Edgeworth chuckled. He loved it when Ema talked like her usual scientific self. "So, where were you?"

"I just came back from a morning coffee with Wright. Oh, that reminds me…" Edgeworth quickly searched for his mobile phone. He remembered Wright tried to call him, God knows how many times. Unexpectedly, he saw a ton of unanswered calls, but what caught his eye was the new SMS.

'_Edgeworth, I need you and Ema to meet me in my office at 2PM. Wright.'_

Ema noticed a slight reaction on Edgeworth's face when he read that message. "Is it something important?" She got up from the red couch.

"Wright wants us to meet him in his office at 2PM today." Edgeworth said. "I wonder what he's up to."

"Well, then, let's go there. There's nothing to fear, as long as we're with each other…" Ema hugged Edgeworth's arm.

"First things first. I need to take you home." Edgeworth said. "Surely, you're not thinking of going there dressed like that…" Then, he just looked Ema in those beautiful, blue eyes up close, while he grabbed her chin gently. "After all, that's your special dress for our romantic evenings, isn't it?" They both chuckled and exchanged a quick kiss in the lips. "Shall we go, then?"

"Alright. I'll call you when I'm ready, so you can come pick me up." Both Edgeworth and Ema left the office.


	9. Reopened Case

**Chapter 9**

**Reopened Case**

After the morning coffee with Edgeworth and being brought back to his office, Phoenix heard a commotion inside. It seemed like someone was fighting. He heard the sound of swords clashing with each other.

"Hmm, they must be playing that Steel Samurai game."

He was proven right as soon as he stepped inside the room where Apollo and Trucy were found sitting on the couch. Apollo was holding the controller, focused on a difficult stage of the game, but he saw himself forced to pause as soon as he saw Phoenix.

"Oh, Mr. Wright! Welcome back!" He said.

"Daddy! Good morning!" Trucy greeted.

"Hi, Apollo! Hi, Trucy!" Phoenix looked around. "Where's Athena?"

"Oh, she's gone to the Park for a walk, but she said she won't be long." Apollo said. Turning his attention back on the game, he unpaused it, causing Phoenix's to turn his attention at the TV screen. "Oh, would you like to play for a little while until she comes back?"

"Sure!" Phoenix was cheerful today and decided to have some fun with Apollo. He looked at the screen, specifically, the name of his character. He couldn't help but laugh and make a little fun of it. "What kind of name is that? Polly LeJustice?" Apollo flinched.

"Hey, it was Trucy's idea, sir! I was gonna go with Justice-dono myself!" He said, as Phoenix settled on the couch next to Apollo and grabbed a second controller.

"Alright, you can finish that part first." Phoenix said. He was impressed with Apollo's gaming skills. He turned to look at Trucy and winked at her. She giggled, as Phoenix said, with a mocking tone in his voice.

"And Polly LeJustice fabulously defeats yet another wave of enemies! His elegantly brilliant skills are worthy of a Princess!" Trucy and Phoenix proceeded to laugh out loud, while Apollo wasn't sharing the same mood.

"Thanks a lot, Trucy, really!" He said as he was smiling in an upset way.

"Oh, come on, Polly, we're just having some fun!" Trucy said. "Don't be like that."

Apollo's finished the difficult part just as Phoenix said, but just as he was saving the game, someone knocks the door, making Phoenix put his controller down and get up, while Apollo turns the console off after the game was saved.

"Coming!" Phoenix opens the door and sees Athena. "Oh, hi, Athena. Where've you been?"

"Hi, Boss." Athena answered. She entered the office and proceeded to sit on the couch. "I was in the park, pondering about this case at that mountain…"

"Speaking of that…" Phoenix interrupted. "I have invited Edgeworth and Ema over. I want to talk to them about that case too."

"Good! " Athena said and started touching her earring, making it swing back and forth. "There's too many unanswered questions. What sort of evidence did they find? How did they find the culprit? And what was his motive to murder Myriam?"

"Well, we'll only find out when they get here." Phoenix said. He turned his eyes to the clock. "Hmm, 1PM. We should go get something to eat before they arrive."

Apollo had an idea. "Let's go to Eldoon's Noodles. It's not far from here and we won't take too long."

"Sounds good to me." Phoenix agreed. "Alright, let's go Trucy, Athena…" He turned to Apollo, giving him a grin. "Polly LeJustice's treat, right?" Athena burst out laughing and Apollo flinched at the sound of that ridiculous nickname Trucy gave birth to.

An hour later, Phoenix, Trucy, Apollo and Athena were back in the office waiting for Edgeworth and Ema. They were discussing about the Eagle Mountain case until they were interrupted by the sound of a revving engine that belonged to a bright red fancy sports car. Phoenix looked out the window to notice two people coming out of both doors. They were none other than the Chief Prosecutor and the Scientific Detective.

"Good, they're here." Phoenix said as he headed to the entrance of his office and open up for the two visitors, who were holding hands. "Hey Edgeworth. Hey, Ema."

"Hello, Wright." Edgeworth said. Phoenix guided them inside the office. "Now, what is it that you brought us here for?"

"I want to discuss the case in Eagle Mountain." Phoenix said, as direct as he could be. As soon as they entered the room, they were greeted by Apollo and Trucy.

"Mr. Edgeworth! Ms. Skye!" Trucy greeted with a smile on her face. Apollo followed.

"Hello, both!"

"Hi!" Ema greeted. Edgeworth didn't say anything, though, until Athena addressed him.

"Say, Mr. Edgeworth. We need to re-investigate the murder." Her hands were clenched into fists and her she showed him a determined facial expression.

"Right..." Edgeworth said, as he and Ema settled themselves and sat down on the couch. "You see, the case has been solved, even though it felt too simple to be true."

"You see? That's exactly why we need to investigate further!" Athena said. "What if you happened to miss something? I remember you said there was a camp near Heavy Hall. Couldn't someone else be camping there other than Hugh?"

"That's Heavenly Hall." Edgeworth corrected. "And what we found in the camp, namely inside the tent, was nothing more than a blue backpack. I searched it and found a note between a few bags of Snackoos. It read _'Meet Myriam'_."

"Just that? Then there's a good chance you've overlooked the contents of that backpack, apart from the Snackoos." Athena said.

"Yeah, I bet a certain detective took care of those." Apollo said, looking at Ema.

"Hey, I didn't find much else other than that note and the Snackoos!" Ema said, addressing Apollo. "The bag was turned upside-down. Literally. We found nothing else."

"Tell me, Edgeworth." Phoenix said with his hand on his chin. "Did you search every single pocket of that backpack?"

"No, we didn't." Edgeworth said, arms crossed. "But I found a knife kit buried next to the tent. It was missing a knife. It's been confirmed that the missing knife was the murder weapon."

"Then, you did overlook something." Athena said. "We need to reopen this case. If we search the backpacks with more detail, we might fi-"

"There was a witness to the murder." Ema interrupted. "Her testimony proved to be rock solid. She claimed to have seen the moment in which the killer stabbed the victim. Namely, Hugh."

Athena was caught by surprise. "What!? No way!"

Pondering about Athena's request to reopen the investigation, Edgeworth started to change his mind and give it a second thought. He remained silent, while the rest continued the debate.

"I'm gonna go to Eagle Mountain and question this witness myself." Phoenix said. Edgeworth was forced to interrupt his train of thoughts. "Her testimony… I need to hear it for myself."

"Wait, Boss! I'll go with you." Athena said. "I want to conduct an investigation of my own, Athena-style!"

"Wright." Edgeworth said. "The witness… you might be surprised to find out who it is."

"Huh? Hardly." Phoenix replied. "Well, at least just tell me her name." Edgeworth quailed in hesitation.

"All I can say is she is a nun living there." Edgeworth said.

"Right…" Phoenix was slightly confused by Edgeworth's answer, but didn't give it much thought. Top priority at that moment was getting to Eagle Mountain. "What about the suspect?"

"He's been arrested." Ema answered with a smile on her face and crossed arms.

"I'll take care of questioning him, Mr. Wright." Apollo said.

"Don't forget me, Polly!" Trucy added.

"So, it's settled, then." Edgeworth concluded. "Wright and Ms. Cykes take care of the mountain investigation, Mr. Justice and Ms. Wright, the suspect. But what are Ema and I supposed to do…?"

"You and Ema can go with us." Phoenix said. "After all, you're the ones who know more about this case than anyone here."

"Wait, I have just remembered something!" Ema said. "Hugh's confessed the killing. Remember, Miles?"

"That's true. I had forgotten about that as well." Edgeworth said. "I guess that solves this case. I mean, when the witness laid her eyes on the suspect that day, she managed to identify him as the same man who stabbed the victim the night of the murder."

"His confession is irrelevant." Athena protested. "I won't believe a word of it until I conduct my investigation. You don't even know what motive he had to kill Myriam! Nor do you have any decisive evidence again-"

**Objection!**

"Hugh's prints were found on the murder weapon." Edgeworth interrupted.

"But that's hardly enough evidence!" Athena counter-argued. "Someone else could have worn gloves and taken that knife."

Edgeworth didn't respond to Athena's statement and turned to Phoenix. "Well, let's go to the crime scene. No point in staying here arguing about possibilities. We will find the truth once we get there."

"Alright." Phoenix said. "Good luck on your interrogation, Apollo. Keep me updated."

"Okay." Apollo acknowledged. "See you later."

* * *

**Author Note:**

The name "Polly LeJustice" wasn't invented by me. There's a channel on Google+ by that name.

And since I'm writing this note, let me just say I'm rather surprised about the views this fanfic's had since Monday, although, the same can't be said for the reviews. I mean, I am quite surprised! Thank you all for following my very first fanfic.

Now, about this whole Eagle Mountain case, I haven't had a thought about how it would be constructed. I've just come up with it out of the blue. Main purpose for this case was just to have my little two love pidgeons working on their first case together. However, I will still focus on more romance once this case is solved for real (like I did with Chapter 7), because that's the reason I've started writing this fanfic in the first place. The following chapters will focus on this case, because I want it to make some sense, if it doesn't yet.

Anyway, stay tuned!


	10. Analytical Psychology

**Chapter 10**

**Analytical Psychology**

While Apollo and Trucy headed to the Detention Center to question the so called murderer, Phoenix, Athena, Edgeworth and Ema were on their way to Eagle Mountain in the Chief Prosecutor's fancy red sports car. Ema was in the front passanger seat, reading through her partner's Organizer. Phoenix and Athena were in the back seat. They were quiet, that is until Ema reconsidered some pieces of evidence. Namely, two.

"You know, I don't think these two notes are decisive evidence at all." She said. Edgeworth was rather surprised.

"Oh? How so?" Edgeworth asked.

"One, the information these notes give us is quite vague. _'Meet Myriam'_ and _'Meet Hugh'_… sounds like a dead-end to me. Two, shouldn't you consider the possibility that they actually never met?"

Athena and Phoenix widened their eyes, but kept quiet. They wanted to hear how Ema's reasoning made sense. Edgeworth, too. The thought that they never met had not occurred to him, but still, there were some contradictions between Ema's logic and the witness's testimony.

"Not a bad statement, but that would contradict the witness's testimony. She clearly saw a man with a pair of glasses in his face pulling a knife out and stabbing the victim. If what you're saying is true, then… It raises the possibility that Hugh is not the killer. And if it wasn't Hugh the witness saw, then, who was it?"

"That's going to be a major obstacle in our investigation." Ema pointed out. This discrepancy between her reasoning and the witness's testimony was raising more questions about this case. However, it's nothing more than a theory.

A few minutes later, they arrive at the scene of the crime. There were less police officers today than the day before, and the body wasn't there anymore. It's been replaced by the usual white outline. Sister Iris was standing near the bridge while being questioned. Again.

"Alright." Edgeworth said. He noticed Iris as he got out of the car. "Wright, would you please come with me?"

"Uhm, sure." Phoenix said, a little nervous. How long has it been since he last came to this mountain? Even he didn't know. He'd rather not remember that night, though, specially not at an occasion like this.

"Hey, what about us?" Athena asked. Ema raised a smile on her face and answered her question.

"We'll check out that camp once again. Just follow me."

"No, actually…" Phoenix jumped in. "I'm gonna need Athena's special ability."

"What are you thinking, Wright?" Edgeworth asked, surprised.

"What else? I'm going to cross-examine the witness myself." Phoenix answered, quite confident.

"Well, suit yourself." Edgeworth said. "Come on."

"No, actually, leave this one to me. You go on with Ema and re-investigate that camp." Phoenix said and then raised a grin at Edgeworth. "Just the two of you…"

Edgeworth frowned at him, but didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Well, good luck with your… cross-examination." He and Ema then proceeded to Heavenly Hall, while Phoenix and Athena walked towards the witness, who, at this point, was on her way to Hazakura Temple, but just as she turned away from the bridge, she saw the two lawyers.

"Excuse me!" Phoenix said, approaching her. "Might we ask you a few questions?"

The nun was wearing her white hood, so, Phoenix didn't recognize her immediately. Her eyes had widened at the sight of her long lost love.

"Uhm, is everything alright, miss?" Athena asked.

"Oh, uhm… no, it's… it's nothing." Iris said. She thought it was best for Phoenix not to recognize her, after everything that's happened last time during 'that' incident.

"Would you mind telling us what you witnessed the night of the murder?" Phoenix asked as professionally as he could. Iris lowered her head and brought her hand to her chin. She tried to remember her testimony from the day before, while being questioned by Edgeworth.

"I believe I have already testified yesterday to a man in a red suit." Iris said. Phoenix knew exactly who she was talking about.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to repeat it for us." Athena said. "If you don't mind, that is…"

"Sure." Iris agreed.

_**Witness Testimony**_

_Witness's Account_

_It was after 10PM. I rang the lights out bell_

_and headed for the Inner Temple._

_Just as I was arriving at the bridge,_

_I saw two people._

_I hid behind a tree and watched them._

_They looked like they were talking but then…_

_The man with the glasses pulled_

_a knife out_ _and stabbed the girl._

"I can hear a lot of noise in her heart, Boss." Athena said.

"Huh?" Phoenix said, surprised. What does that mean? Is Iris hiding something? Only one way to find out. "Alright, she's all yours."

Athena was a little bit excited to use her Mood Matrix again. She clicks Widget and prepares the psychological analysis. "Alright, here we go."

**Noise Level**

**100%**

_It was after 10PM. I rang the lights out bell_

_and headed for the Inner Temple._

No emotions were registered in this statement. Athena continued on with her testimony.

_Just as I was arriving at the bridge,_

_I saw two people._

The yellow icon started flashing, displaying some surprise in Iris's emotions. Athena was paying as much attention to any unexpected emotions. She continued on.

_I hid behind a tree and watched them._

_They looked like they were talking but then…_

That's where the blue icon started flashing, but with more intensity than the yellow icon of Surprise, that was still flashing. It told Athena the nun felt some Fear too. She continued on to the last statement of the testimony.

_The man with the glasses pulled_

_a knife out_ _and stabbed the girl._

The surprise icon no longer flashed, leaving Fear the predominant emotion displayed in this statement.

"This looks tricky." Athena said, or rather, thought out loud.

"You know, I don't think there are any unexpected emotions. If I were in her place, I would also feel pretty much the same thing." Phoenix intervened.

"There must be." Athena said, not taking her eyes off the Mood Matrix screen for one second. "Actually, there's something bothering me. Something that should've been there, but wasn't." Phoenix had no idea what she was talking about. He backed off, and let Athena continue her analysis.

_The man with the glasses pulled_

_a knife out_ _and stabbed the girl._

Only the Fear icon was flashing in this statement. That's understandable, however, Athena knew there's something else Iris should've felt at this point of her testimony other than Fear. She proceeded to pinpoint the unexpected emotion, but before she did, she pondered about it for a bit and after a few seconds, she clicked the Surprise icon.

**Got it!**

"Ms…" Athena said.

"Iris." Iris added, as she hadn't introduced herself earlier, because of Phoenix. The lawyer was completely caught by surprise at the mention of her name, however didn't say a word. He didn't want to interrupt Athena and waited for a better moment to talk.

"Ms. Iris." Athena continued. "In your last statement: _'The man with the glasses pulled a knife out and stabbed the victim.'_, you've displayed Fear as the predominant emotion."

"Well, it's normal, isn't it?" Iris added. "If you had witnessed what I did, you would've been scared as well."

"Yes, that might be true, but that's not the point." Athena said. "I was expecting you to be surprised as well, but you weren't. Almost like you were expecting to see the knife."

"Well…" Iris said, trying to explain herself "I've managed to notice the knife before he grabbed it."

Phoenix intervened. "I see. Where did you notice the knife exactly?"

"Hmm." Iris said. "I saw the knife being held by the girl, hiding it behind her back and she was wearing gloves."

"I see." Phoenix said. "That statement looks valuable. Please, add it to your testimony."

"Certainly." Iris said. The noise level on her heart was diminished by 25%.

**Noise level**

**75%**

Athena prepared to re-examine Iris's emotions.

**Info Update**

_The girl was holding a knife_

_behind her back. It was the one the_

_killer had used to stab her._

The Fear icon was still flashing, however, it was not the only one. The green icon was also flashing, although with less intensity. Iris felt Happiness? How strange… Why would anyone feel such an emotion when witnessing a shocking scene? Athena proceeded to pinpoint the unexpected emotion emitted by the green icon.

**Got it!**

"How strange." Athena said. "The moment you said _'the girl was holding a knife behind her back'_, you felt some happiness. It's not something most people would feel, were they in your place."

Iris had a good explanation and didn't hesitate. "The girl drew the knife out after she was attacked by the man. He had grabbed her in the neck and pushed her towards a tree. I thought maybe she could defend herself and save her own life."

"But clearly, that's not what happened." Phoenix pointed out. "If she had the knife in her hand, how come she was the one who ended up dead?"

"Because as soon as she tried to stab the man in self-defense, the man quickly disarmed her and reversed the whole scenario." Iris said. Thinking about it that way made sense. The girl had the knife with her and pulled it out after she got pushed towards a tree by the man. Then, when he approached her, she tried to stab him in self-defense. However, the whole scenario was reversed. The killer disarmed the victim and stabbed her with the girl's knife. This was interesting information indeed.

**Noise level**

**10%**

"I'm still reading a little bit of noise, Boss." Athena said. "Let me update the information."

**Info Update**

_The girl tried to stab the man in self-defense,_

_but he robbed her of her knife and her life._

The Fear icon stopped flashing nd was replaced by the red icon, which displayed Anger. The yellow icon of Surprise was flashing again as well. Athena pondered about it for a bit. Iris no longer felt Fear, but Anger and Surprise instead. Strange. She didn't feel Anger before. What exactly caused her to trigger that emotion? Athena proceeded to pinpoint the unexpected emotion. Unsurprisingly, she pinpointed the Anger icon.

**Got it!**

"You felt a little bit of Anger when you said _'but he robbed her of her knife and her life'_." Athena said. "Don't you think that's a little strange? Before you mentioned that, you felt Fear predominantly, but now, you only felt Anger and Surprise."

"I became angry because the girl couldn't defend herself from that man." Iris said, her hand on her chin and looking down at the floor. "Poor girl… There was nothing for her do to the moment she was stripped of her knife."

"I see." Phoenix said and turned to Athena. "Well, I think what we've learned is quite useful. However, her testimony is rock solid. It still points the finger of guilt at Hugh." Athena turned her attention back at the Mood Matrix and learned her noise level has been reduced to 0%.

**Noise level**

**0%**

The psychological analysis was now complete. They've learned the murder weapon didn't belong to Hugh, but to Myriam. Athena, then, started pondering about something.

"We've learned something useful, despite the fact that Hugh is still the prime suspect. About that camp… if the knife belonged to a kit found near it, and was the victim's at the same time… wouldn't that mean it was her who was camping?"

"Why, it does!" Phoenix agreed. "Listen, go to the camp near Heavenly Hall and tell Edgeworth and Ema about what we've just figured out." He, then, looked at Iris and said, a bit nervous. "I'll stay here and ask Iris a few more questions."

"You got it, Boss!" Athena said. "Wait, where's Heavenly Hall?"

Iris pointed her finger towards the narrow path to the left of the bridge and said. "The Heavenly Hall is that way, through that narrow path. Don't worry, you won't get lost."

"Alright, thanks!" Athena said and turned to Phoenix. "See you later, then, Boss."

"See ya." Phoenix said and then focused his entire attention at the young nun with the white hood.


	11. Romance in the Crime Scene

**Chapter 11**

**Romance in the Crime Scene**

The scene on the camp near Heavenly Hall was completely different from the one near Dusky Bridge. While Athena and Phoenix were cross-examining Iris through Analytical Psychology, Edgeworth and Ema were hardly doing what they should. Well, Ema was actually trying, but Edgeworth… poor him. His mind was somewhere else, no one could deny it. He was just staring at her partner… no, scratch that. Her lover with a smile on his face. Everytime he was alone with Ema, crime scene or not, his mind would focus on one thing only, or rather, one person. Was he in love? Even he didn't know. Never has Edgeworth felt something of this nature for anyone. Ever since that fateful moment, on his office…

"I've always wanted to say… I love you…"

Ever since Ema told said that to him, his mind and his heart have been poisoned. Poisoned by the touch of those soft lips of Ema's. Poisoned by love.

"…Miles?" Ema asked him. The sound of her voice has managed to do the trick and call the Chief Prosecutor back into reality. She approached him and put her hand in his cheek. "Is everything alright…?"

"Oh, Ema…" Edgeworth said. Apparently, that's all he could say at that time. He grabbed the hand touching his cheek and slowly pulled her closer to him. "I'm okay. No need to worry, my dear."

Ema was worried about him. He was a lot different when they were investigating the camp the day before. "…Are you sure? You seem… lost."

"As long as we're together, you won't need to worry about me."

"You've been standing here staring at me ever since our arrival here." Ema pointed out. She put her hands on Edgeworth's upper back. "Look, don't worry. The sooner we solve this case, the sooner we can spend more time together, just the two of us."

"Yes, you're right…" Edgeworth said. "Let's get this investigation over with."

Edgeworth snapped out of it and turned his attention to the investigation. Romance was not an option at the moment.

"So, what did you find?" Edgeworth asked.

"I've dusted everything for fingerprints. Turns out that none of them match Hugh's." Ema said, fiddling with her hair.

"I wonder…" Edgeworth said, arms crossed. "The night of the crime, who could've camped here?"

"We've drawn the conclusion that only the killer could have camped here, because of the knife kit." Ema said.

"However, that raises a contradiction." Edgeworth said. "If none of the fingerprints you dusted match Mr. O'Conner's, then…"

They didn't have to wait long until Athena found them. She knew the answer to the question 'Whose camp is this?'

"Mr. Edgeworth! Ms. Skye!" Athena called, as she ran towards them. "Huff… puff… huff… puff…"

"Ms. Cykes?" Ema said.

"We've finished huff… puff… questioning huff… the witness puff…"Athena said.

"Calm down, Ms. Cykes. Catch your breath first and then, tell us whatever it is you want to tell us." Edgeworth said.

"Okay huff… puff… huff… puff…" Athena said. No more than five minutes were necessary for her to fully catch her breath. "Okay. What I want to say is that we've finished questioning the witness and came up with different facts."

"What are these facts you speak off?" Edgeworth said, wagging his finger at the young attorney.

"There's mainly a blatant contradiction regarding the murder weapon." Athena said, widening both Edgeworth's and Ema's eyes. "It belonged to the victim."

"Whaaaaaaaaat!?" Ema said. "But the murder weapon bears the killer's prints!"

"Yes, it doesn't change who the killer is, however, it changes who this camp belongs to." Athena said. "The knife kit that was buried near the tent… it belonged to the victim."

This was quite the turn of events, even though it doesn't point out the possibility of another killer. Edgeworth, Ema and Athena engaged in a debate of their own, comparing Athena's facts to Edgeworth's.

Meanwhile, at the Dusky Bridge entrance, Phoenix was left alone with Iris after Athena left to deliver the news. They were staring at each other silently. That is until Phoenix broke the silence.

"Iris…" Phoenix said, speechless.

"Hello, Feenie." Iris said, her cheeks as red as a rose. "How have you been?"

"I've been… great." Phoenix said, letting out a smile.

"Aw, that's nice to know." Iris said, with her usual angelic smile on her face. Unlike Dahlia's, Iris's smile was genuine, radiating beauty and perfection, as if her face was sculpted by Angels. But then… her eyes turned wet and she wrapped her arms around Phoenix rapidly, much to his surprise. "I've missed you!"

Phoenix didn't reply right away. He stood there for a few seconds before returning the hug. "I've missed you too…" Afterwards, both proceeded to establish eye contact from up close.

"You're as handsome as you've ever been." Iris said as she caressed Phoenix's face. She never let her angelic smile go during that moment of intimacy, which didn't last very long.

"I need to ask you something." Phoenix said. "Something about the case." Iris's eyes widened and she became worried of what might come next.

"Sorry to ruin this moment." Phoenix apologized in advance. "I just want to know one more thing before I drop the issue for good."

"Alright…" Iris said, still worried and not breaking eye contact.

"That little backpack over there…" Phoenix said, directing his eyes towards the tree where the body was found. "Did you happen to see it the night of the murder?"

"I saw something flying off after the girl was thrown towards the tree, but I couldn't see what it was. All I know is that it ended up behind the same tree the body was found next to."

"I see." Phoenix said. "That means it was a backpack you saw flying off."

Silence had once again taken over the ambience surrounding them both, and while there was no noise but that of the wind, their eye contact wasn't broken by one second.

"Oh no…" Iris remembered. "I forgot I had to head back to the Temple… I'm sorry, Feenie. I have to go."

Phoenix was not very happy to know she had to go. "Oh, alright… It was nice to see you again after all these years."

"Before I go, I want you to know something…" Iris said.

At the same time that Edgeworth, Ema and Athena arrived at the bridge, Iris proceeded to kiss Phoenix's lips one last time. They were stunned by what they were witnessing at that very moment. So much, in fact, that they dropped their chins. The intensity of Iris's kiss was pretty high. Phoenix enjoyed every second of that kiss. Relunctantly, Iris let go and said.

"Farewell, Feenie… my love."

"Goodbye, Iris… take care." Phoenix said, hugging her one last time.

He turned around to see the three spectators to that scene and flinched.

"Ahh! How long have you been there for!?"

"… … …" No one answered. They were still shocked by what they saw.

"Well, we just got here." Athena said.

"Ah… I see…" Phoenix said, not really buying it. "Then, what's with the dropped chins?"

"Uhm, well… uuuuh… Oh, it's nothing, Boss." Athena said.

"Right… Well, anyway." Phoenix said, dropping the issue and focusing back on the case at hand. "How did the investigation at the camp go?"

"We found several unidentified fingerprints, and before you ask, no, they don't match Hugh's." Ema said. "And by what Athena told us, the camp belonged to the victim."

"Alright. We'll discuss this later at Wright's Office." Edgeworth said. "We need to go back and find out what Mr. Justice drew out of Hugh."

"Yeah, let's." Phoenix said. They headed back to Edgeworth's car. As soon as they got in the car, Ema reached a bag of Snackoos towards the back seat. "Oh, thanks." He accepted.

"Can I have some too, Boss?" Athena asked.

"That bag is for both of you to share." Ema said, as she pulled out another bag for herself. She would occasionally feed some to Edgeworth as he drove back to the city.

*MUNCH, MUNCH, MUNCH, MUNCH, MUNCH* That's what was heard in the car during the whole trip back to town.


	12. Vacation Plans

**Chapter 12**

**Vacation Plans**

Apollo and Trucy had finished their questioning with Hugh and seemed to acquire no new information. He was still confessing to the murder. Perhaps Edgeworth was right about his accusations after all. And it didn't take him too long for it. After all, Hugh had gone back to the crime scene, which made things much, much easier for the Chief Prosecutor. The re-investigation of this case didn't seem to answer many questions either. Just who owned that camp. But, how is that relevant for the identity of the killer? So much for a thorough investigation. There were no leads that could deny Hugh as the killer. This case was so simple, yet, so complicated. Upon arrival at the office, Apollo unleashed a few comments.

"Well, so much for leads." Apollo said. "We can only rely on what Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth found out."

"Hugh is still confessing." Trucy said, worried. "Do you think he actually did it?"

"Well, the more he confesses, the more I but it." Apollo said. "Look, let's just wait until Mr. Wright arrives."

Not more than 15 minutes were necessary for Edgeworth to arrive at the Agency. He got up from his seat in order to let Phoenix and Athena out, while Ema stayed on the car munching on her Snackoos.

"Bye, Mr. Wright! *MUNCH* Bye, Ms. Cykes! *MUNCH, MUNCH*" Ema said.

"See you, Ema." Phoenix said.

"Bye, Ms. Skye!" Athena said.

"Wright." Edgeworth said. "Ema and I are going. We, uhm… have some business to take care of." Phoenix gave him a skeptical look. He knew what Edgeworth really meant.

"Right…" Phoenix said. "Well… I'll keep you updated on the case."

"Thank you." Edgeworth said. "Oh, and, one more thing."

"Yeah?" Phoenix asked.

Edgeworth frowned, telling Wright what he was going to say was serious. "If it turns out that our re-investigation is proven to be a waste of time and Hugh still the prime suspect, I will make you pay for one of my romantic dinners with Ema and believe me, they're not cheap at all."

Phoenix flinched. "WHAT!? Are you serious?"

"You heard me." Edgeworth said. He took a few seconds to replace his frown with a smile. "I'm joking, of course! But anyway, I leave the entire case in your hands."

"Why?" Phoenix asked. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm thinking about going to travel abroad with Ema on personal grounds." Edgeworth said.

"Right." Phoenix said. "Enjoy yourselves, lover boy!"

"Would you cut it out already?" Edgeworth asked, frowning. "Well, see you."

Phoenix sighed as he saw Edgeworth get in his car and drive away. Ema was surprised that they were not going to stay in the Agency discussing the case. Edgeworth wanted to drift away from it. He felt like this re-investigation was a complete waste of his time. After all, the finger of guilt was still pointing at Hugh O'Conner. Ema turned to Edgeworth.

"Miles…? Where are we going?"

"Well…" Edgeworth said. "We're going back to my office, so we could spend some more time together. Just the two of us." Ema noticed his cheeks turning red. She chuckled. "We'll leave the entire case to Wright. Time for me to relax in the company of the woman of my dreams." Ema blushed. "How about a vacation? We could go to Europe."

"Oh, Europe!" Ema's eyes were shining. She missed the place where she grew up. "Where to, exactly?"

"Well, if we want a romantic time together, Paris is the place to go." Edgeworth said.

Ema was rather surprised. She'd never gone to Paris before. Her imagination started creating images in her head. Being in a luxurious hotel suite with a clear view towards the whole city of Paris and the Eiffel Tower in the center. Going to a luxurious French restaurant with none other than his partner, Edgeworth, and then, dancing to a romantic waltz late at night. It felt like a dream come true to her. Could Edgeworth be her prince in shining armor? It may be that obvious, or it may not. But… why did Edgeworth come up with this idea in the first place? And why now? Perhaps Edgeworth had something in mind? Whatever it was, Ema was eager to know.

"But, Miles… when did you decide this? I mean, doesn't all this seem to be all of a sudden?"

"Of course we're not going now, my dear." Edgeworth said. "Besides, the choice to go or not is entirely yours. If you accept going with me to Europe, we will decide when we go."

"Oh, Miles, of course we'll go!" Ema said. "I just want to be with you, no matter where we go. Just being with you makes me feel happy."

Edgeworth let out a smile. "Well, Paris it is, then! Don't worry, you're going to love it."

"I'm sure I will!" Ema said with a smile on her face. She was feeling quite happy about going to Paris with his prince. "Oh, I'm already imagining how it's going to be!" As she smiled to her thoughts, no, scratch that, her romantic fantasies, she blushed. "How long are we going to stay there?"

"I haven't thought of that." Edgeworth said. "How about two weeks?"

"Sounds perfect!" Ema said. "When will we depart?"

"We'll discuss it in my office." Edgeworth said. "I will also need to rearrange that decoration I've prepared for the other night."

They've arrived at the Prosecutor's Office garage. Edgeworth parked his car in his usual spot. Only when they've arrived at the Chief Prosecutor's Office did they start discussing their "vacation".

"Alright." Edgeworth said as he started removing the flowers scattered all over the office at the same time that Ema walked towards the couch and sat down on it. "How long do you need to prepare your luggage for a two-week vacation?"

"A day or two." Ema said. "I don't know why you're planning this vacation with me, but I don't care. I'm so excited!"

"The reason is very simple." Edgeworth said, turning her eyes to Ema. "I just want to spend some quality time with my beloved partner."

"Hee hee, oh, Miles…" Ema said. "You can be really romantic when you want."

Edgeworth let out a shy chuckle, but didn't reply. Just then, someone knocks the door.

"I'll get it." Ema said. She got up from the couch and opened the door, only to see her sister Lana. "Oh, hi, Lana! Come in!"

"Ema! Hello." Lana said, bringing a smile on her face at the sight of her sister. As she entered the office, she looked around and noticed the flower decoration, or to be more accurate, Edgeworth removing them. She chuckled "What's this? How unusual for you to decorate your office with flowers, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Uhm, well…" Edgeworth said, a little embarrased. "Ema, why don't you explain it for me, please?"

"Oh, right, uhm…" Ema said. "It's kind of a long story. But anyway, what brings you here, sis?"

"Oh, nothing special." Lana said. "I just thought I'd drop by and pay a little visit. I had looked over for you on Criminal Affairs, but you weren't anywhere in the premises, so, I deduced you were here with your partner."

"Well, good thing you came here, Ms. Skye." Edgeworth said. He collected the last of the flowers and put them away on the couch. Afterwards, he approached Lana, putting his arm around Ema's shoulders. "Ema and I are going to Paris for about two weeks."

"Oh!" Lana said, rather surprised about the news. Two weeks in Paris? It sounded a lot like a honeymoon plan to her. "What are you going to do in Paris?"

"We're just going to spend some time together, that's all." Edgeworth said.

"I see…" Lana was pondering about something. She assumed they were going to get married and then said. "As Ema's sister, I will approve it. Has a wedding date been established?"

Both Edgeworth and Ema flinched. Wedding date?

"Sis!" Ema said, a little upset. "What are you saying!? We're not going to get married!"

Edgeworth intervened and confessed. "That is, for the time being."

"Whaaat!?" Ema was shocked by what Edgeworth had just said. Did he really want to marry her? "Miles, are you really saying…?"

Edgeworth didn't answer and turned to Lana. "Well, Ms. Skye, there is no need to worry about your sister. She's in good hands."

"I don't doubt that." Lana replied, still smiling. "Should you need anything, I'll be willing to help in any way I can."

"Thank you for the kind offer." Edgeworth bowed to Lana. "I will keep that in mind."

"Anyway, Miles…" Ema said. "I'm going home to pack up and get everything ready."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then." Edgeworth approached Ema and gave her a hug and then a kiss. As Ema left the office, so did Lana. Edgeworth was left alone in his office. He took this opportunity to relax upon a cup of tea and ponder about his plans for their trip to Paris.


	13. To Paris, My Love

**Chapter 13**

**To Paris, My Love**

Two days later, at the Wright Anything Agency, Phoenix, Apollo, Trucy and Athena were not even discussing the case anymore. Since Hugh O'Conner was still the prime suspect, they've decided to close the issue for good.

"…and then the Judge says..." Phoenix said. He was telling a tale from one of his cases. " _'__Do you mean to tell me... that despite the Chief's formidable appearance, he plays with puppets!?'_ "

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Apollo laughed and clapped, much like the way Damon Gant used to. Laughing alongside were Athena and Trucy. "That's a good one, Mr. Wright, that's a good one!"

"Ok, Polly, your turn!" Trucy said with a smile on her face, eager to hear it.

"Hmm, let's see here…" Apollo pondered about a joke to tell, however, was quickly interrupted by a phone ring.

"Wait, hang on." Phoenix said as he got up from the couch and approached the phone. "I'll get it." He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Wright." Edgeworth said on the other side of the line.

"Oh, hey, Edgeworth!" Phoenix greeted. "How are you? I heard you were going to Paris… is it true?"

"I'm fine." Edgeworth answered. "And actually, that is precisely why I'm calling you."

"Oh?" Phoenix showed some curiosity.

"My flight is due to arrive in a few hours. I'm already at the airport with Ema. She's coming along with me."

"Oh, I smell romance, lover boy." Phoenix said with a grin in his face, even though Edgeworth couldn't see it. The latter, however, was frowning to the sound of Phoenix's taunt. "How long are you going to stay there?"

"About two weeks." Edgeworth answered. "I thought I might spend some time with Ema, without anyone else bothering us."

"I see, well." Phoenix said. "Just be careful, alright? And enjoy your little romantic vacation!"

"Try to grow up while I'm out, too." Edgeworth said. "Alright, I've got to go. Take care of yourself."

"See ya, Edgeworth. You too." Phoenix said and hung up the phone.

The action's now focused on the airport, where Edgeworth and Ema are waiting for their flight. But they're not alone. Lana's also there, not only to say goodbye to her dear sister, but also to talk to Edgeworth. He wanted Lana to replace him as Chief Prosecutor while he's away. If anyone he could trust for such a role, it was Lana. After all, Lana used to bear that title while Ema was still a high-school student.

"Alright." Edgeworth said. "I will entrust you my position as Chief Prosecutor.. Please, fulfill any obligations assigned to you while I'm absent." Edgeworth bowed to Lana. "And thank you."

"I'm well aware of what the Chief Prosecutor's duties are, Mr. Edgeworth." Lana said. "I have had my name under that title once too. You've got nothing to worry about. Right now, your only concern is Ema." She turned to her sister and smiled at her. Ema looked back at Lana and approached her for a hug. "Be careful, Ema."

"Don't worry, sis." Ema said. "We'll be fine. As long as Miles is with me, I have nothing to fear."

*Ding-dong* The PA was ready to make an announcement. "Flight nr. 74 to Paris is bound for departure. Passengers are requested to board the airplane within 20 minutes. Thank you and have a nice flight." *Ding-dong*

"Well, I guess this is it." Ema said.

"Have a nice flight, Ema." Lana said with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, sis. I'll miss you." Ema said.

"Me too, sis… me too." Lana said. The moment when you have to say goodbye to someone in the airport was never a happy or an easy one. Edgeworth didn't want to, but relunctantly interrupted the tender hug.

"In any case, Ms. Skye, we will return in two weeks. In the meantime, I will wish you good luck with your assigned role." Edgeworth bowed to her. "Ema will be in good hands."

"I know that, Mr. Edgeworth." Lana said, not letting go of her smile. "I will make sure my assigned obligations are fulfilled with efficiency."

"Thank you, Ms. Skye." Edgeworth said. "I'll see you in two weeks."

"Goodbye, Mr. Edgeworth. Bye, Ema." Lana said.

"Bye, sis!" Ema said, as they started walking away from Lana. They had a flight to catch in no less than 20 minutes. Seeing as Ema's sister was watching them walk towards their airplane, she also left the scene and made her way back onto the Chief Prosecutor's Office. Edgeworth had lent her the key, so, she knew it was her responsibility to look after his office.

Meanwhile, Edgeworth and Ema had boarded the plane. Edgeworth had bought tickets for first class. There was a seat for each passenger, so, Ema and Edgeworth couldn't fly next to each other. They would have to take an individual seat each. The seats were very comfortable. They had some sort of plasma screen TV attached to each one, in front of the passenger. Much like the iFly Airlines first class airplanes.

"Wow!" Ema was surprised to fly in first class. She had never experienced such luxury before. "So, this is first class!"

"Yes. Do you like it?" Edgeworth asked, smiling. She knew Ema would love flying in luxury. "I had two tickets for first class reserved just for you."

"Oh, that's so sweet." Ema said. "But wait, there's only one seat per passenger."

"Yes. Unfortunately, we won't be able to sit next to each other."

"Aw." Ema was sad to hear what she heard. "Well, then, I guess I'll stay here." She proceeded to find the seat closest to her and take it.

"I'll sit here behind you, then." Edgeworth said. "It's as close as I can get to you."

Just then, the captain grabs his microphone and makes one of his usual announcements.

"Dear passengers, thank you for flying with iFly Airlines. Current weather circumstances show no signs of strong wind, so, there will be little to no turbulence throughout the whole flight. Please, fasten your seatbelts, as our preparations for take-off are complete."

Chances of no turbulence have made Edgeworth feel much more comfortable and relax in his seat. And so was Ema. The plane took-off and the whole flight was calm. It took them about nine hours to arrive at their destination and by the time they set foot in France, it was already dark.

"Paris at last…" Edgeworth said. Both him and his lover were tired from the flight. "Let's take a taxi and head to this hotel." He took out a panflet for a luxurious and famous hotel in Paris.

Ema looked at it with a blank stare. "Hotel… Core… de Paris?"

"It says _'Coeur de Paris'_." Edgeworth corrected, however, Ema wasn't totally wrong either.

"Looks romantic." Ema said, looking at Edgeworth's eyes from up close and then kissing his lips.

"Well, it's perfect for us." Edgeworth said, smiling. He, then, turned his attention to the nearest taxi and signaled it to pull over.

"Bonsoir." The taxi driver said. "À où voudrez-vous aller?"

Edgeworth presented the hotel panflet to the taxi driver and said. "Ici."

"Oui, monsieur." The taxi driver said, as he made his way to the Hotel in question.

Ema was rather surprised to hear Edgeworth speak French. She had no idea he had such knowledge.

"Wow, you speak French, Miles?"

"Well, only a little bit." Edgeworth answered. "But I think I might be able to communicate with the Hotel staff and other people easily." He smiled at her partner.

The taxi arrived at Hotel Coeur de Paris. Ema got out while Edgeworth pulled his wallet out and paid the fare money.

"Merci, monsieur." The taxi driver said and Edgeworth got out of the taxi to meet Ema in the entrance. They made their way in as the taxi drove away. There was but a woman in the reception. Edgeworth was feeling nervous because his French wasn't top-notch and of course, he didn't want to switch from French to English while talking to the reception lady.

"Bonsoir, bienvenus à Hotel Coeur de Paris." The reception lady said. "Comment puis-je vous être utile?"

"Uuuhhh… Je…" Edgeworth was stuttering. A few minutes in Paris and he was already struggling with communication. What could he do? He certainly didn't want to rely on English to talk to people here. He decided to give his answer a go, regardless of how much French he knew.

"Nous voudrons une suite." Edgeworth said.

"D'accord, un moment, s-il vous plaît." The lady said. Edgeworth was relieved to be able to answer that question in French. Perhaps he should take the time to study French a little more during his two weeks, however, that would cost him the reason he came here for in the first place. "Bon. Il y a une suite disponible." The lady proceeded to fetch the cardkey to the free room she said there was. "Numéro 241. Merci beaucoup!" Edgeworth received the cardkey for their room and made his way with Ema. She was rather confused about what they were talking about.

"Miles?" Ema asked.

"Yes, Ema?"

"I was wondering what you were talking about with that lady." Ema said.

"She said _'Welcome to Hotel Heart of Paris. How may I be of service?'_." Edgeworth explained it to her as well as he could. "I had trouble answering her, but then I managed to say _'We desire a suite'_. There was one available, which is nr. 241." He showed Ema the cardkey to their room.

"I see." Ema said. "Wow, Miles, you're so good with French. I didn't even understand any of it." She wrapped her arm around his and didn't let go until they've reached their room.

"French is elementary, my dear." Edgeworth said, smiling to her. "You've just got to remember it well. It's not a very easy language to learn and know, unlike English."

Edgeworth used his cardkey to get into room nr. 241 and as soon as they entered it, Ema proceeded to jump and lay down on the bed, leaving her luggage by the window. Edgeworth did the same and joined Ema on the bed, getting some rest from their flight.

* * *

Let me just make one thing clear. The name of the Hotel in Paris was invented. Any coincidences to an actual Hotel by that name are unintentional. I've never even been to Paris either, so, I wouldn't know any actual Hotel names.

Finally, Edgey and Ema are alone in Paris. This will be promising.

Stay tuned, readers! ^^


	14. Fragrance of Romance

**Chapter 14**

**The Fragrance of Romance**

Paris was such a beautiful city. The perfect place for a romantic vacation, honeymoon, you name it. Edgeworth and Ema were comfortably sleeping next to each other. His arm around her back, cuddling her and her head on his chest. The clock read 10AM. Edgeworth put Ema's head on her pillow and removed his arm from her shoulder. He got up carefully not to disturb her partner's sleep. He put his white shirt on, since he was sleeping topless and put his red trousers on as well. After noticing the clock, he proceeded to grab the phone to request room service. However, he decided to address the room service staff in English.

"Hello? Is this room service?" Edgeworth said. "I'd like two chocolate croissants, one tea and one orange juice. Yea… N-No, no. Two chocolate croissants, one tea… Uhm… well, your finest tea, if possible. Yes, and an orange juice. Okay. Thank you." He hung up the phone and proceeded to button the white shirt he was wearing, tighten his trousers with his belt, putting on his black vest, followed by his cravat and finally, his red jacket. A few minutes later, room service knocks the door and he proceeds to receive his breakfast, along with Ema's.

"Bonjour, monsieur. 'Ere's your breakfast." The bellboy said.

"Thank you." Edgeworth said, smiling.

"If z'ere is anything more you would like, just call." The bellboy said.

"Don't worry, this is all I need for now. Thank you." Edgeworth politely closed his hotel door and approached Ema to wake her up. "Ema, darling…? Breakfast is here."

Ema yawned and opened her eyes. As soon as she did, she was already making eye contact with Edgeworth. He smiled and whispered to her. "Good morning."

"Morning, sweetie." Ema said and kissed him.

"Your breakfast's here." Edgeworth said as he fetched the platter with Ema's breakfast. Ema's eyes widened and she let out a 'Wow!' when she saw how good it looked. "Chocolate croissant and orange juice. There's no better way to start a day in Paris than with a croissant for breakfast." Ema smiled to Edgeworth.

"Thank you, Miles." Ema said as she grabbed the orange juice and took a quick sip. "Hmm! The juice's really good!"

Edgeworth grabbed his tea and took a sip out of it. It tasted as good as the tea he had in his office. He took another sip afterwards, only bigger.

"I've got big plans for today, so, let's get breakfast over with." Edgeworth said.

"Oh?" Ema was surprised. "What kind of plans?"

"Worry not." Edgeworth said and smiled at her. "Leave it to me. I guarantee you're going to love it."

They finished their breakfast and Ema got out of bed. As she was getting dressed, Edgeworth turned his back on her, like the gentleman he was.

"Alright." Ema said. "Shall we get going?"

Edgeworth gave her his arm and off they went together. They made their way to the hotel exit and walked down the street to the right. It was a comercial street, with luxury clothing, jewelry and everything else of the finest quality shops there were. Not to mention there was a person playing some typical French accordeon music to go along with the ambience, making it more pleasant.

"Wow, it's beautiful around here." Ema said, quite admired by her surroundings, as she was glancing through the shop windows. "Wow, look at that outfit! And that one too!" Edgeworth couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. He also took a glance to a certain shop. The window displayed several quality necklaces and rings. He saw a very special pendant with an Angel wing made out of silver. The price tag was 2500€, however, he didn't react to it. He had money, after all. Edgeworth stopped walking and with him, Ema as well.

"Please, wait here." Edgeworth said and Ema let go of his arm. She saw him head to the jewelry store they had just passed by.

"Bonjour, monsieur!" The shop clerk said. Edgeworth replied to his greeting in English.

"Good afternoon, sir." Edgeworth said and went direct. "I'm interested in the 2500€ Angel pendant displayed over there." He pointed it for the clerk.

"Ah, oui! Z'at's a good choice, sir!" The clerk said, as he took out the pendant to show Edgeworth. "Z'is is top quality silver, and as you can see, z'ese little shiny things over 'ere are little diamonds." There were small diamonds on the tip of the angel wing. Edgeworth smiled at the sight of such a beautiful piece of jewelry.

"Perfect. I'll take it." He took his wallet out as the clerk carefully put the pendant inside a little box. After paying for it, he takes the little box and puts it in a pocket inside his jacket. "Thank you, sir."

"Merci beaucoup!" The clerk said as Edgeworth left the shop and met with Ema. She had sat down in a bench close to that shop, checking her mobile phone. When she saw Edgeworth approach her, she put it away and stood up.

"Alright, shall we go, then?" Edgeworth asked, once again offering her his arm.

"Let's." Ema agreed, smiling to him, and then, wondered. "Where are we going now?"

"Well, how about a visit to the Eiffel Tower?" Edgeworth's proposition made Ema nod at him with excitement.

"Yes!" Ema said. "I've always wanted to visit it. I want to see Paris from the top of the tower."

"Yes, me too." Edgeworth said. "Going to Paris and not visit the Eiffel Tower is like going to a football game and not watch it."

Edgeworth guided Ema through the streets of Paris towards the Eiffel Tower, and happened to stumble upon a comercial street of perfume shops. The fragrance lurking in the area was pleasant, much like the passion that burns your heart when you're in love.

"Hmm, it smells good in this street!" Ema said.

"Do you know what it is you're smelling?" Edgeworth said with a smile on his face. His answer was a headshake from Ema. "That's the fragrance of romance that lurks the City of Love."

Ema blushed and gave him a quick kiss in the lips. She loved it when Edgeworth said things of that sort. He may not look it, but he can be really romantic when he wants to.

It feels good to be able to spend some time with your loved one without worrying about your responsibilities. Edgeworth was living his dream, being two weeks in Paris alone with Ema. What else could he ask for? The Eiffel Tower was just up ahead. Ema eyed it all the way up. How incredibly tall it was. She let out a 'wow' out of the excitement.

"Ah, yes." Edgeworth said. "The Eiffel Tower at last." He looked at Ema, who was swooning. "Don't get too excited, we're not up there yet." He smiled at her.

"I know, I know!" Ema said. "But it's like a dream come true! I mean, me, visiting the Eiffel Tower… with you!"

"Heh." Edgeworth couldn't help but let out a chuckle to the sound of her excitement. As they were heading for the entrance, someone addresses them.

"Bonjour, messieurs!" It was the voice of a woman. "Bienvenus à la Tour Eiffel!"

"Yes, hello." Ema said. "We'd like to go to the top."

"Ah, English, I see." The lady said. "Well, follow me to z'e elevator."

Edgeworth flinched. The word 'elevator' pretty much ruined his day.

"Miles, what's wrong?" Ema asked, worried all of a sudden.

"Uhm…" Edgeworth didn't know how to answer her question. "Let's just say I'm as good with elevators as Wright is with heights."

"Oh? Then you shouldn't have anything to worry about." Ema said.

"Not at all, since Wright isn't good with heights at all." Edgeworth said. He was sweating bullets. For once, he'd prefer climbing a stairway all the way to the top of the tower, even if it took him all day long. Ema reached her mouth to his ear and whispered.

"Don't worry, Miles. I'll be there with you. You have nothing to fear, my love."

She managed to calm his nerves down. However, it's not like he had much of a choice here. He did want to visit the top of the Tower with Ema, so, he had to man up from his fear of elevators. After it came all the way down and its doors opened, Edgeworth, Ema and the lady went in and off they went to the top.


End file.
